PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


BR  145  .S78  1893 
Stuckenberg,  J.  H.  W.  1835- 

1903. 
The  age  and  the  Church 


Shelf 


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AGE  AND  TF[&  CJiURCH. 


BEING    A    STUDY    OF    THE    AGE,   AND    OF   THE 

ADAPTATION    OF   THE    CHURCH 

TO   ITS  NEEDS. 


' '  Can  ye  not  discern  the  signs  of  the  times  ? 


BY 


J.  H.  W.  STUCKENBERG,  D.  D. 


THE    STUDENT    PUBLISHING   COMPANY 
Hartford,  Conn.,  U.  S.  A. 


COPYRIGHTED  1893. 

BY  THE  STUDENT  PUBLISHING  CO. 
C.  A.  PIDDOCK,  MANAGER. 


D.  S.  M08ELEY,  PRINTER, 
HARTFORD. 


PREFACE. 


This  volume  concentrates  the  attention  on  the 
age  which  forms  us  and  on  which  all  our  influence 
is  exerted.  In  seeking  the  dominant  factors  of  the 
times,  we  must  look  to  the  leading  nations,  namely, 
to  those  of  Western  Europe  and  to  the  United 
States.  So  in  the  study  of  the  adaptation  of  the 
church  to  the  age,  it  is  not  enough  to  take  into 
account  a  particular  locality  or  denomination,  but 
we  must  consider  the  entire  church  of  Christ  and 
all  the  advanced  nations.  Principles  and  general 
characteristics  are  sought  rather  than  details ; 
hence  the  special  application  of  the  results  at- 
tained can  be  made  by  the  reader  himself  to  his 
own  locality,  nation  and  church.  Some  tendencies 
are  more  marked  in  Europe  than  in  America.  In 
such  cases  the  aim  has  been  to  give  the  leading 
traits  of  the  movements,  although  these  traits  may 
be  found  in  different  countries  in  various  forms 
and  with  different  degrees  of  prominence.  Thus 
the  condition  of  the  church  differs  greatly  in  the 
United  States,  in  Great  Britain,  and  on  the  Conti- 
nent.     On  the  whole,  it  seems  least  hopeful  in 


vi  PREFACE 

continental  Europe,  and  most  promising  in  Amer- 
ica. What  is  said  of  the  status  in  general  must 
not  therefore  at  once  be  transferred  with  all  its 
lights  and  shadows  to  any  particular  denomination 
or  country.  So  with  that  monster  of  the  nine- 
teenth century — Socialism.  It  is  more  dominant 
in  Europe  than  in  the  United  States,  and  the  char- 
acteristics of  it  given  in  this  volume  are  taken 
chiefly  from  continental  Europe.  But  it  will  be 
found  that  there  is  a  constant  tendency  to  make 
great  movements  international,  so  that  what  is 
strongest  in  Socialism  in  one  nation  is  likely  soon 
to  affect  the  m_ovement  in  other  nations  also. 

This  breadth  of  view,  this  comprehensiveness 
both  in  respect  to  the  age  at  large  and  the  church, 
was  necessary  in  order  to  give  an  idea  of  our  times 
and  of  what  is  demanded  of  religion. 

The  subject  naturally  divides  itself  into  three 
parts.  First  the  age  itself  must  be  studied  in 
order  that  we  may  discern  its  spirit,  the  Zeitgeist ; 
then  we  must  consider  the  present  character  and 
condition  of  the  church  ;  and  lastly,  the  adaptation, 
of  the  church  to  the  needs  of  the  times.  The 
purpose  is  to  answer  three  questions  :  What  is  the 
Age?  What  is  its  Church?  What  ought  the  Chui'ch 
to  be? 

J.  H.  W.  Stuckenberg. 

Berlin,  February^  ^^93- 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
Principles  of  Investigation i 

CHAPTER  H. 
Characteristics  of  the  Age 21 

CHAPTER  III. 
Characteristics  of  the  Age  (Continued)  .        .        45 

CHAPTER.  IV. 
Religion  and  Theology  in  the  Age        ...        89 

.CHAPTER  V. 
The  Church 117 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Adaptation  of  the  Church  to  the  Times      .       163 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Protestantism  and  Catholicism        ....       197 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Church  and  Culture 231 

CHAPTER  IX. 
The  Church  and   Socialism 273 

CHAPTER  X. 
The  Outlook 321 

APPENDIX. 
The  Study  of  the  Age 339 


CHAPTER  I. 
Principles  of  Investigation. 

In  all  great  problems  a  revelation  of  depth  and 
intricacy  is  the  reward  of  profound  inquiry.  As 
we  dig,  we  make  the  discovery  that  the  smooth 
surface  buries  gnarled  roots  that  intertwine  and 
intergrow.  Problems  lie  in  groups  ;  and  only  as 
we  evolve  the  problems  in  our  minds  can  we  per- 
ceive how  involved  they  are.  The  thinker  sees 
thought  in  its  relations,  and  therefore  feels  the 
weight  of  mystery,  where  to  the  unthinking  all 
seems  simple  and  clear.  But  the  very  investigation 
which  entangles  the  thinker  in  mysteries  also  leads 
to  their  solution. 

To  the  student,  the  age,  which  some  imagine  so 
evident  as  not  to  require  special  inquiry,  since  it 
lies  open  before  them  and  they  themselves  form  a 
part  of  it,  presents  at  the  first  survey  a  scene  of 
interminable  confusion.  Innumerable  details  ap- 
pear, whose  connection  is  not  apparent,  and  the 
various  tendencies  are  complicated  and  conflicting. 
The  age  seems  to  be  "without  form,  and  void." 
The  broader  the  survey,  the  greater  the  distraction; 
and  for  sometime  the  continued  contemplation  of 


2  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

the  chaos  makes  the  prospect  more  bewildering. 
Long  and  profound  study  may  be  required  to  dis- 
cover order  and  system.  We  cannot,  however, 
question  that  underlying  this  diversity  there  must 
be  unity,  and  that  its  discovery  is  in  some  degree 
within  reach  of  the  human  mind.  This  unity 
must  of  course  be  found  in  the  age  itself,  not  in- 
vented, not  taken  from  some  theory  of  the  philos- 
ophy of  history  and  dogmatically  forced  on  the 
times. 

Even  a  single  life  for  a  single  day,  with  its 
thoughts  and  impulses,  its  words  and  acts,  presents 
a  confusing  variety.  How  vastly  is  this  increased 
when  we  take  into  account  the  whole  of  humanity 
and  the  entire  age.  Not  only  do  the  extent  and 
variety  of  the  scene  seem  to  transcend  all  possi- 
bility of  comprehension,  but  every  thing  also 
appears  to  be  ceaselessly  changing.  Is  there  now 
in  this  endless  variety,  where  all  is  moving  and 
every  moment  undergoing  transformation,  any- 
thing constant  ?  Are  the  ages  nothing  but  change, 
or  do  certain  elements  remain  the  same  amid  the 
changes  ?  If  any  permanent  factors  can  be  found, 
they  may  give  a  valid  and  "important  basis  for  the 
study  of  the  ages  themselves. 

First  of  all,  let  us  inquire  into  the  actor,  the  doer 
of  the  deeds  and  the  subject  of  the  events  which 
constitute  the  age.  This  is  evidently  humanity. 
That  is  the  one  object  to  which  all  our  inquiries 
pertain.     But  humanity  is  composed  of  individual 


PRINCIPLES  OF  IN  VES  TIG  A  TION  3 

men.  Thus  man  himself,  the  individual,  the  per- 
son, is  the  permanent  factor,  which  remains  essen- 
tially the  same  throughout  all  generations.  In  all 
the  processes  of  development  from  the  lowest  to 
the  highest  forms,  we  have  but  the  unfolding  of  the 
same  human  substance  under  different  circum- 
stances and  influences,  and  in  various  degrees  of 
progress.  In  races,  nations,  and  individuals 
numerous  peculiarities  prevail,  which  tend  to 
different  forms  of  development  ;  but  to  all  alike 
pertain  the  qualities  which  are  essential  to  m.an 
and  make  him  human.  Through  whatever  pro- 
cesses humanity  may  pass,  it  can  never  do  more 
than  develop  what  is  in  it  and  that  for  which  it 
has  capacity. 

Not  in  his  isolation  does  the  individual  consti- 
tute the  permanent  factor  we  seek.  Separate 
points  form  no  processes,  and  individuals  as  a 
mere  aggregation  do  not  constitute  history.  The 
object  of  our  inquiry  is  the  individual  as  he  enters 
into  social  relations,  unites  with  his  fellows  in 
organizations  and  institutions,  creates  states,  and 
constitutes  organisms,  and  the  various  forms  of 
solidarity  from  the  family  to  the  totality  of  human- 
ity. It  is  evident  that  as  the  individual  enters 
into  these  various  relations,  he  becomes  subject  to 
great  changes  ;  yet  no  transformation  can  take 
him  out  of  himself  or  beyond  himself. 

Besides  man,  there  is  another  factor  which 
remains  the  same,  namely,  the  powers  of  nature. 


4  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

under  whose  influence  and  amid  whose  surround- 
ings, man  develops.  In  nature  as  well  as  in  man 
there  is  evolution  ;  but  in  this  evolution  only  the 
powers  of  nature  can  be  evolved  by  nature. 
Unless  some  new  power  is  communicated  to  them, 
man  and  nature  can  become  actually  only  what 
they  are  in  idea  or  potentially. 

It  is  because  there  are  permanent  factors,  that 
there  is  a  continuity  in  human  affairs,  that  ages 
can  judge  of  one  another,  and  that  history  becomes 
possible.  Unless  we  find  in  ourselves  something 
like  the  men  of  ancient  Greece  and  Rome,  how 
can  we  form  any  idea  of  their  character  and  ex- 
plain their  conduct  ?  The  historian  can  transfer 
himself  to  the  events  he  describes,  and  can  make 
himself  a  partaker  of  the  thoughts  and  motives  of 
men  of  the  distant  past,  because  he  has  essentially 
the  same  mind  and  the  same  heart  which  controlled 
men  in  all  ages.  Hence,  it  is  so  important  for  the 
historian  to  be  a  thorough  student  of  psychology 
and  anthropology 

We  do  not  enter  upon  the  discussion  of  the  free- 
dom of  the  will  and  of  divine  influence.  They  are 
factors  which  are  not  siibject  to  scientific  expla- 
nation. Here  we  can  deal  only  with  such  perma- 
nent factors  as  lie  within  the  limits  of  mental 
inquiry.  The  very  fact  of  freedom  implies  that  its 
course  cannot  be  predetermined.  All  we  can  do 
is  to  investigate  character  and  learn  what  conduct 
may  justly  be  expected  from  certain  characters. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  IN  VES  TIG  A  TION.  5 

It  is  therefore  evident  that  the  study  of  our  age 
is  concerned  chiefly  with  the  two  permanent  fac- 
tors, man  and  nature.  Within  and  between  these 
lie  all  the  phenomena  which  are  within  reach  of 
rational  interpretation.  And  since  humanity  is  the 
object  of  our  inquiry,  it  is  especially  man  as  our 
age  presents  him  that  concerns  us. 

What  now  is  it  that  controls  man  ?  That  ot 
course  which  interests  him  most.  Unless  he  acts 
under  restraint  of  some  external  force,  we  cannot 
see  how  anything  which  does  not  interest  him  can 
govern  his  conduct.  A  man's  interests  are  not 
isolated,  but  vitally  connected  with  all  that  he  is 
and  does.  They  are  concentrated  in  his  tastes  ; 
and  his  tastes  are  an  expression  of  his  personality. 
The  interests  which  a  man  cherishes  are  the  light 
which  beams  from  him,  illuminating  the  sphere  to 
which  he  is  attracted  and  in  which  he  moves. 
Thus  our  interests  are  not  abstracted  feelings  ;  but 
our  culture,  our  intellectual  attainments,  our  re- 
ligion, our  conscience,  have  a  part  in  their  creation  ; 
indeed,  it  may  be  said  that  all  these  culminate  in 
our  interests  and  are  absorbed  by  them.  Thus 
the  interests  of  a  man  need  not  be  sensuous, 
selfish,  or  irreligious ;  they  may  be  devoutly 
religious,  humanitarian,  and  intellectual.  The 
struggle  for  existence  is  not  the  sole  concern  of 
life  ;  it  has  significance  only  because  existence  has 
values  worthy  of  aspiration.  This  struggle  is 
therefore  but  the  means  to  attain  the  great  end  of 


6  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

existence,  and  not  mere  empty  existence  itself. 
The  strong  tendency  in  modern  ethics  to  regard 
pleasure,  as  the  end  of  human  existence  and  the 
source  of  conduct,  has  much  truth  ;  but  it  forgets 
that  pleasure  itself  is  but  an  expression  of  the 
character,  and  that  consequently  not  pleasure  but 
character  is  the  ultimate  aim  in  ethics.  Pleasure 
may  be  holy  or  sinful  ;  and  it  is  the  personality  of 
a  man,  what  he  is,  that  determines  whether  the 
divine  or  the  diabolical  shall  afford  him  pleasure. 
We  must  therefore  look  at  the  pleasures  and  inter- 
ests of  men  as  an  expression  of  what  the  men 
themselves  are. 

If  now  we  want  to  understand  the  age,  we  must 
understand  its  interests.  What  are  its  chief  con- 
cerns, what  most  of  all  enlists  its  energies  ?  Its 
interests  are  the  centres  around  which  are  concen- 
trated its  thoughts,  its  feelings,  its  pursuits,  and 
the  totality  of  its  life. 

The  interests  which  absorb  the  attention  and 
determine  the  conduct  of  men  spring  chiefly  from 
their  wishes  and  desires.  These  are  not,  however, 
absolute.  The  world,  the  peculiar  surroundings 
in  which  the  desires  are  to  be  realized,  must  be 
taken  into  accotmt.  No  sane  man  will  fight  what 
he  knows  to  be  inevitable,  nor  will  he  work  for  the 
attainment  of  what  he  recognizes  as  an  impossi- 
bility. There  can  be  no  inspiration  where  there  is 
no  hope.  It  is  thus  seen  that  the  effort  to  realize 
one's  desires  is  conditioned  by  his  surroundings. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  IN  VES  TIG  A  TION.  T 

by  knowledge,  by  faith,  and  by  hope.  Our  sub- 
jective impulses  are  limited  by  what  the  objective 
world  is  or  is  thought  to  be. 

In  man  himself  the  physical  element  is  first  of 
all  developed.      Sensation  and  impression  are  the 
constant  accompaniments  of  this  physical  develop- 
ment.    It  is  in  this  first  stage  that  the  struggle  for 
existence  seems  supreme  ;  yet  the  first  stage  is  not 
necessarily  the  last.      The  higher  forms  of  intel- 
lectuality, together  with  what  is  ethical  and  spirit- 
ual, come  later.      The   primitive,   sensuous   state 
may,  however,   remain  the    controlling   factor  of 
life,  and  actually  does  so  in  most  cases.      What  is 
called  culture  and  refinement  is  often  but  sensu- 
ousness  in  a  developed  and  veneered  form.     Since 
in  this  world  the  physical  must  always  remain  the 
basis  of  life,  we   find  its  influence   strong   even 
where  not  controlling,  as  in  the  case  of  intellectual 
and  spiritual  men.      As  all  men  have  substantially 
the  same  physical  basis,  they  are  in  this  respect 
essentially  alike.      So  in  all  that  is  immediately 
connected  with  this  basis  they  are  governed  by  the 
same  motives.     Thus  in  their  lower  elements  there 
is  a  remarkable  similarity  among  men.    The  differ- 
ences are  generally  found  to  consist  chiefly  in  what 
strength  is  taken  from  the  lower  elements  into  the 
intellectual  and  moral  stages.      What  is  sensuous 
in  a  man  may  even  determine  the  character  of  his 
intellectual  pursuits  ;  and  how  great  a  warfare  the 
flesh  may  wage  with  the  spirit  can  be  learned  from 


8  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

the  seventh  of  Romans.  The  physical  and  the 
sensuous,  with  the  mighty  passions  which  bum 
with  a  consuming  fire,  must  be  regarded  as  the 
strongest  motive  power  in  far  the  larger  part  of 
humanity. 

When  now  we  turn  from  this  subjective  state  to 
the  world,  we  find  that  its  most  direct  and  most 
powerful  appeals  are  made  to  our  sensuous  nature. 
As  the  appetites  prevail  in  man,  so  the  first  influ- 
ence of  the  world  about  us  is  exerted  for  their 
gratification.  It  is  a  physical  world,  and  it  is  inev- 
itable that  it  shot:ld  appeal  to  our  physical  nature. 
We  need  but  understand  our  appetites,  and  know 
how  the  world  appeals  and  responds  to  them,  in 
order  to  learn  why  mere  gratification  exerts  so 
mighty  a  power  in  all  ages  and  is  so  potent  a  fac- 
tor in  our  age. 

In  individuals,  in  tribes,  and  in  nations,  the  first 
intellectual  efforts  are  usually  devoted  to  securing 
the  means  of  existence  and  the  gratification  of  the 
appetite.  But  these  very  efforts  also  tend  to  de- 
velop intellectual  tastes  and  to  create  intellectual 
interests.  These  tastes  and  interests  may  become 
so  strong  as  to  change  a  life  of  lower  gratification 
into  a  life  of  intellectual  pursuits.  Thought  de- 
velops, new  departments  of  intellect  are  discov- 
ered, the  mind  is  enlarged  and  its  interests  increase. 
Thus  man's  higher  nature  reveals  itself  and  de- 
mands the  proper  exercise  of  its  powers.  Capac- 
ities are  recognized  which  cannot  be  filled  by  the 


PRINCIPLES  OF  INVESTIGA  TION.  9 

immediate  surroundings,  and  interests  of  an  ex- 
alted kind  are  discovered.  The  powers  exercised 
most  tend  to  concentrate  into  themselves  the  entire 
personality.  When  the  intellect  is  developed  into 
the  ruling  energy,  it  no  longer  studies  the  world 
merely  as  an  object  of  carnal  gratification,  but 
also  as  a  sphere  for  scientific  inquiry  and  for 
intellectual  enjoyment.  So  the  thoughts  also  rise 
to  inquiries  which  pertain  to  other  beings  and 
powers,  and  the  mind  learns  to  recognize  religious 
needs  and  religious  objects. 

It  is  therefore  evident  that  the  lower  elements 
in  man,  the  appetites,  the  wild,  turbulent,  and 
blind  impulses  and  passions,  become  in  a  measure 
subject  to  the  guidance  of  the  clear  apprehensions 
of  the  intellect  and  of  the  visions  of  faith.  In 
their  sensuous  nature  men  are  essentially  the  same 
in  all  ages ;  but  in  intellect  and  faith  they  differ. 
In  order  to  understand  our  age,  we  must  therefore 
see  how  its  intellect  and  faith  affect  the  perma- 
nent elements  in  man's  lower  nature,  and  how 
they  direct,  control,  and  modify  his  appetites  and 
passions. 

The  social  relations  of  men  furnish  means  to 
gratify  and  develop  the  sensuous  nature,  but  they 
also  create  higher  interests.  Instead  of  unhin- 
dered bestial  gratification,  society  puts  its  mem- 
bers under  restraint,  and  promotes  other  tastes 
than  those  which  arise  from  personal  selfishness. 
Society  obliges  the  individual  to  enlarge  his  views 
beyond  self  into  sympathy  with  others. 


10  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Nor  is  it  the  individual  intellect  merely  that  is 
to  be  considered,  but  that  intellect  as  it  comes  in 
contact  with  the  intellect  of  others.  As  the  intel- 
lect develops  in  the  social  relations,  there  is  a 
growth  of  culture,  that  is,  the  whole  personality  of 
man,  the  totality  of  his  being  is  unfolded,  refined 
and  exalted.  The  nature  of  the  culture,  however, 
necessarily  depends  on  the  character  of  the  intel- 
lectual development.  A  purely  secular  intellect 
secularizes  the  entire  personality  and  makes  the 
culture  secular  ;  but  a  predominantly  moral  and 
spiritual  intellect  makes  the  culture  moral  and 
spiritual.  Mere  intellectuality  is  no  guaranty 
against  sensuousness.  The  two  may  exist  together 
in  the  individual  and  in  society.  When,  however, 
the  intellectual  element  in  a  man  absorbs  his  ener- 
gies, then  of  course  the  sensuous  cannot  rule. 

The  mightiest  impulse  to  rise  above  sensuous- 
ness is  given  by  pure  religion.  Faith  in  God  and 
in  eternal  life  is-  the  most  potent  factor  in  lifting 
man  above  his  appetites,  and  above  the  appeals 
and  responses  of  nature  to  these  appetites.  This 
faith  gives  a  man  new  ideals,  puts  him  into  new 
relations,  presents  the  most  exalted  aim  to  life, 
quickens  his  conscience,  and  develops  all  the  ener- 
gies for  the  highest  and  best  purposes.  So  deep 
and  permeating  is  genuine  religion  that  nothing 
else  can  so  profoundly  affect  the  human  heart. 
Including  ethics,  and  allied  with  intellect,  we  must 
regard  religion  as  the  most  powerful  agent  in  the 
processes  of  civilization. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  INVESTIGA  TION.  11 

Not  only  must  the  factors  working  in  an  age  be 
considered,  but  also  their  relative  predominance. 
Thus  the  radical  difference  between  Roman  Cath- 
olicism and  Protestantism  is  not  in  the  recognition 
of  Scripture,  but  in  the  place  given  to  Scripture. 
It  is  not  so  much  the  amount  as  the  character  of 
the  intellectual  activity  which  determines  the  ten- 
dencies of  the  day.  The  dominant  factor  in  a 
movement  deserves  more  attention  than  it  usually 
receives  ;  it  is  the  engine  which  moves  the  entire 
course  of  events,  determining  their  nature  as  well 
as  their  direction.  As  the  individual  is  molded  by 
what  is  dominant  in  his  intellect,  so  in  the  intel- 
lectual movements  of  the  day  the  dominant  or 
controlling  factor  is  of  chief  importance. 

When  now,  guided  by  the  principles  indicated, 
we  come  to  the  study  of  the  age,  we  find  that  it 
has  much  that  is  common  to  all  ages.  Thus  the 
study  of  other  times  will  greatly  aid  us  in  under- 
standing our  own.  This  study  reveals  constant 
elements  in  history,  as  well  as  in  man  and  in 
nature. 

Now,  as  throughout  the  past,  movements  may  be 
very  prominent  and  seem  to  carry  all  before  them, 
when  in  reality  they  are  weak  and  short-lived. 
Perhaps  violent  and  noisy  movements  are  only 
one-sided  reactions  against  an  extreme  of  the  pre- 
ceding age.  The  law  of  reactions  is  of  especial 
importance  in  the  study  of  the  ages.  By  exercise 
the  human  powers  are  developed.      But  while  by 


12  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

the  exclusive  exercise  of  a  power  it  is  developed, 
yet  it  is  not  normal,  because  not  unfolded  in  har- 
mony with  all  the  other  powers  and  not  in  the 
right  proportion.  A  power  overstrained  gives  out 
and  ceases  to  act.  But  a  neglected  power,  unless 
destroyed  by  the  neglect,  will  assert  its  rights  ; 
and  the  one-sided  neglect  will  be  avenged  by  a 
one-sided  energy.  Thus  one  extreme  begets  an- 
other. An  unduly  exerted  power  spends  its  force, 
and  an  unduly  neglected  but  not  destroyed  power 
may  spring  into  vigorous  exercise,  become  violent, 
and  threaten  to  absorb  the  whole  of  human  energy. 
But  this  very  violence  leads  to  exclusiveness  and 
to  another  extreme,  and  this  produces  a  reaction 
again.  Movements  may  be  intense  in  proportion 
to  their  narrowness.  Their  very  narrowness  ex- 
cites antagonisms ;  these  antagonisms  embody 
what  is  ignored  and  opposed  by  the  narrowness  in 
the  movements.  An  extreme  movement  may  con- 
tinue for  awhile  ;  but  its  one-sidedness  must  event- 
ually excite  reaction  against  itself.  Two  opposite 
movements,  both  of  them  extremes,  may  run  par- 
allel with  each  other,  the  extreme  element  in  the 
one  constantly  intensifying  the  extreme  in  the 
other.  Both  are  right  and  both  are  wrong,  and 
neither  has  the  conditions  of  healthy  develop- 
ment. But  if  antagonistic  movements  can  be  so 
combined  that  the  truth  in  each  is  adopted,  while 
the  errors  and  extremes  are  rejected,  then  there 
will  be  a  permanent  gain. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  IN  VES  TIG  A  TION  13 

By  ignoring  the  law  that  produces  reactions 
some  of  the  most  common  mistakes  respecting  the 
age  are  made.  Mere  reactions,  the  product  of  cir- 
cumstances, are  taken  as  normal  forces  and  treated 
as  permanent  factors.  Reactions  are  so  powerful 
because  men  become  partisans,  and  let  their  parties 
interpret  the  age  for  them,  instead  of  so  mastering 
for  themselves  the  movements  as  to  extract  their 
truth  and  reject  their  errors.  Conservatives  see 
only  the  errors  of  the  radicals,  and  this  increases 
their  conservatism.  The  radicals  see  only  the 
errors  of  the  conservatives,  and  this  makes  their 
radicalism  more  intense.  The  one  conserves  only 
the  past,  adds  nothing  new,  and  is  not  progres- 
sive ;  the  other  rushes  wildly  forward,  breaks  its 
connection  with  the  past,  and  is  destructive,  not 
constructive.  Progress  consists  in  a  union  of  con- 
servatism and  radicalism,  rigorously  conserving 
all  that  is  true  and  good  in  the  past,  mercilessly 
destroying  all  that  is  false,  and  joyfully  putting  in 
its  place  whatever  is  true  and  good  in  the  new. 
No  tendency  can  be  permanent  unless  it  puts  all 
human  powers  in  their  proper  relation,  and  exer- 
cises all  in  a  healthy  manner  and  in  due  propor- 
tion. Reactions  are  the  confessions  and  judgments 
of  history ;  the  true  repentance  which  produces 
the  fruits  that  need  not  be  repented  of :  that  is,  it 
does  not  create  a  new  extreme  which  must  termi- 
nate in  remorse  and  failure,  but  it  leads  to  health 
and  a  full-orbed  completeness   in  the  exercise  of 


14  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

the  powers.  No  movement  which  violates  man  or 
nature,  or  which  is  in  conflict  with  the  truth,  can 
endure.  Only  the  eternal  elements  have  the  con- 
ditions of  eternity.  Owing  to  circumstances, 
movements  which  to-day  are  powerful  may  soon 
disappear  without  leaving  a  visible  trace  behind, 
as  has  been  the  case  with  so  many  tendencies  in 
the  past.  Therefore  the  truth,  the  justice,  the 
completeness  of  a  movement,  determine  its  per- 
manence. Never  can  the  human  mind  be  content 
to  rest  in  any  thought  or  system  which  fails  to 
meet  all  its  needs.  We  must  therefore  conclude 
that  the  breadth,  the  noise,  and  the  violence  of  a 
movement  are  no  tests  of  its  enduring  qualities. 

While  history  is  so  largely  controlled  by  the 
forces  that  are  mere  reactions,  we  find  that  but 
few  persons  have  sufficient  independence  and  en- 
ergy to  escape  the  extremes  which  these  reactions 
promote.  Men  are  usually  creatures  of  their  age, 
formed  by  their  surroundings,  rather  than  origi- 
nators of  their  own  course.  Not  from  the  depth 
of  reason  and  from  the  nature  of  things,  but  from 
their  superficial  environment  most  men  draw 
their  inspiration.  Instead  of  being  truly  the  meas- 
ure of  things,  man  makes  the  things  about  him  the 
measure  of  himself.  He  becomes  the  sport  of 
passing  events,  and  the  repository  of  prevailing 
opinions.  The  man  who  thinks  for  himself,  and 
who  has  the  hardihood  to  become  an  embodiment 
of  the  truth  and  the  ethics  he  has  wrought  out  for 


PRINCIPLES  OF  INVESTIGA  TION.  15 

himself,  is  the  only  one  who  is  the  master  of  re- 
actions. 

Besides  the  law  that  works  in  reactions,  another 
fact  common  to  the  ages  is  important  for  the  study 
of  our  times.     We  are  apt  to  treat  the  movements 
of  an  age  as  conscious,   and   the   actors   as   fully 
aware  of  what  they  are  about.  ■    But  in  every  age, 
not  excepting  the  most  enlightened,  bHnd  forces 
are  at  work,  of  which  the  actors  themselves   are 
not  conscious.      In  many  respects  the  unconscious 
activity  of  the  soul  is  more  powerful  than  the  con- 
scious ;  and  this  is  also  true  of  an  aggregation  of 
individuals.     Thus  in  proportion  as  an  age  is  ex- 
cited and  agitated,  is  it  likely  to  be  controlled  by 
instinct,  by  impulse,  by  passion,  and  by  prejudice. 
The  whole  life  of  an  individual  may  be  a  process 
of  growth  in  the  consciousness  of  self,  his  aim,  his 
motives,  his  dominant   powers  only   very   slowly 
emerging  from  the  abyss  of  unconsciousness  ;  and 
great  multitudes  never  become  aware   of  them- 
selves  and   of    the  powers   which   control   them. 
And  so  with  the  blind  forces  that  work  in  move- 
ments ;  ages  may  be  required  before  a  movement 
becomes  fully  conscious  of  itself.      Every  age  has 
tentative  elements  which  work  and  feel  their  way 
toward  full  consciousness.      Some  tendencies  are 
passing  from   the  night  of   unconsciousness  into 
twilight,  and  are  moving  toward  the  day,  where 
all  is  visible  ;  but  they  are  strong  especially  in  the 
invisible   powers   of    the   night    from    which   the 


16  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

movement  is  just  emerging,  and  the  most  energetic 
forces  in  pushing  the  movement  forward  are  the 
hidden,  unconscious,  blind  impulses. 

From  the  movements  themselves  we  must  learn 
what  dark  forces  are  at  work  in  them.  From  their 
words,  we  learn  the  clearly  perceived  purposes  of 
men ;  but  what  they  do,  reveals  also  the  uncon- 
scious and  semi-conscious  impulses  of  their  hearts. 
Only  what  is  distinctly  apprehended  can  men 
formulate  in  words  ;  but  what  men  are^  that  they 
do.  By  studying  his  blind  impulses  as  they  work 
in  spite  of  himself  a  man  may  learn  what  he  really 
is ;  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  age. 

Not  infrequently  the  movements  which  men 
inaugurate  become  master  of  their  originators. 
The  first  act  of  a  reformation  or  revolution  may 
be  but  a  handful  of  snow,  the  beginning  of  an 
avalanche  whose  course  and  force  cannot  be  imag- 
ined by  him  who  drops  the  snow  from  his  hand. 
Only  from  their  results  can  the  powers  of  causes 
be  known.  Call  the  unconscious  forces  that  work 
in  history  heavenly  or  fiendish,  human  or  natural, 
their  existence  is  evident  from  their  fruits.  These 
fruits  are  luxuriant  in  proportion  to  the  energy  of 
the  age.  It  is  especially  in  crises,  in  revolutions, 
in  the  uprising  of  the  masses,  and  in  all  volcanic 
agitations,  that  the  dark  and  secret  powers  burst 
forth  into  the  light.  Since  in  their  culmination 
they  reveal  themselves  by  a  fearful  explosion,  they 
are  naturally  looked  upon  as  horrible  furies. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  INVESTIGA  TION.  17 

"Nations  are  not  governed  by  rational  consid- 
erations ;  their  course  is  determined  by  great  feel- 
ings." This  dictum  of  Ranke,  a  deduction  from 
his  study  of  the  whole  course  of  human  history^ 
gives  a  deep  insight  into  the  movements  of  the 
ages.  But  although  feeling,  which  changes,  rather 
than  reason,  which  is  unchanging,  is  the  potent 
factor  in  the  phenomena  of  nations,  we  must  be 
careful  not  to  let  mere  feeling  be  the  interpreter 
of  an  age.  Rational  insight  is  required.  Thus 
what  is  implied  in  a  movement  must  be  fathomed  ; 
it  is  not  enough  to  observe  the  apparent  elements. 
The  acorn  does  not  reveal  the  oak  it  contains. 
The  reason  and  the  feeling,  the  logic  and  the  facts 
in  movements  may  not  correspond  perfectly. 
Reason  continues  after  the  feelings  have  changed, 
and  the  logic  works  after  the  force  of  certain  facts 
has  been  spent.  The  logic  of  a  movement  forges 
link  after  link  until  the  whole  chain  is  completed. 
There  are  facts  which  are  only  bark  that  falls  off ; 
but  the  logic  is  the  seed,  whose  full  energy  can  be 
learned  only  from  the  perfectly  developed  plant  it 
produces,  the  first  germ,  the  first  leaves  and  buds, 
being  but  imperfect  revelations  of  that  energy. 
Through  facts  and  feelings  the  logic  of  an  event 
pushes  resistlessly  to  the  final  conclusion.  Thought 
is  an  organism  which  grows  in  an  age  and  through 
the  ages ;  and  only  from  the  perfected  organism 
can  its  nature  be  learned.  Whoever  gets  the  logic 
in  a  movement  is  the  prophet  who  can  foretell  its 

2 


18  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

future.  Although  Luther  did  not  know  it  at  the 
time,  the  ninety-five  theses  he  nailed  on  the  door 
of  the  Castle  church  in  Wittenberg  contained  the 
Reformation. 

In  the  movements  of  an  age,  the  movers  are  few 
and  the  moved  are  many.  One  master  mind  thinks 
and  feels  for  multitudes.  What  is  individual  be- 
comes social,  and  what  is  at  first  local  becomes 
general.  Individuals  are  the  creators  of  organi- 
zations and  institutions ;  and  when  an  association 
acts,  it  is  usually  some  individual  who  originates 
the  action  and  works  through  the  association. 
The  power  of  strong  men  and  of  eminent  person- 
alities is  among  the  most  important  factors  in  the 
tendencies  of  the  ages.  Thus  a  man  may  rise 
above  his  age,  taking  its  thoughts  to  master  and 
sift  them,  developing  them  into  new  powers,  and 
thus  going  beyond  the  age.  Such  a  man  is  stronger 
than  his  times,  and  the  future  belongs  to  him. 
Perhaps  he  is  so  completely  the  embodiment  of 
his  times  that  its  powers  culminate  in  him.  He 
has  the  ripe  fruit,  while  others  have  only  leaves, 
and  buds,  and  flowers. 

The  intellectual,  the  moral,  and  the  religious 
characteristics  of  an  age  are  often  misunderstood 
because  viewed  too  much  as  the  product  of  past 
development,  while  in  reality  they  are  in  the  main 
the  result  of  present  efforts.  It  is  common  even 
among  thoughtful  men  to  speak  of  the  growth  of 
thought,  of  morals,  and  of   spirituality,  as  if  one 


PRINCIPLES  OF  IN  VES  TIG  A  TION.  19 

age  transmitted  them  to  another.  What  the  ages 
transmit  is  materials  and  symbols,  not  intellect 
itself,  not  ethics  and  not  religion.  Every  age  must 
do  its  own  thinking,  no  matter  what  the  past  may 
have  done  in  the  way  of  preparatory  work.  Hence 
there  is  not  necessarily  a  regular  growth  in  thought. 
One  age  may  have  more  thought  than  its  succes- 
sors. Thus  the  times  from  Socrates  to  Aristotle, 
and  from  Kant  to  Hegel,  were  not  equalled  in 
philosophic  thought  by  any  others  in  the  world's 
history.  So  the  ages  of  Homer,  Sophocles,  Virgil, 
Shakespeare,  and  Goethe,  have  not  been  equalled 
by  others  in  literature.  The  thought  of  an  age  de- 
pends on  itself,  not  on  what  others  have  done, 
although  an  age  may  begin  its  career  under  pecu- 
liarly favorable  circumstances  on  account  of  what 
the  past  has  accumulated,  and  what  the  children 
learn  from  their  fathers  and  teachers. 

Still  more  is  this  true  of  morals  and  religion.  All 
we  can  speak  of  as  having  come  to  an  age  from  its 
predecessors  is  certain  examples  and  conditions. 
True  morality  cannot  be  hereditary,  but  must  be 
the  product  of  each  man's  own  effort.  This  is  also 
the  case  with  religion  ;  it  cannot  be  communicated 
from  parents  to  children,  or  from  age  to  age. 
Whatever  the  existing  material  and  conditions 
may  be,  however  excellent  the  instructors  and  the 
instruction,  each  age  must  begin  at  the  beginning 
with  its  ethics  and  spirituality.  What  a  genera- 
tion attains  in  these  depends  wholly  on  the  use  of 


20  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

the  materials  at  its  command  and  on  the  exercise 
of  its  moral  and  spiritual  energy.  It  may  fall  be- 
hind its  predecessors,  either  because  it  lacks  moral 
and  religious  energy  or  because  other  interests 
absorb  its  attention.  Therefore  it  is  a  mistake  to 
view  the  ages  as  pushing  each  other  higher  and 
higher  in  point  of  intellect,  of  morals,  and  of  re- 
ligion. How  far  there  is  actual  growth  must  be 
determined  by  an  examination  of  the  age,  it  can- 
not be  settled  by  any  theory  of  progress. 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  21 


CHAPTER    II. 

Characteristics  of  the  Age. 

The  foregoing  principles  we  now  apply  to  our 
age.  Some  of  its  characteristics  are  so  marked  as 
at  once  to  arrest  the  attention  of  the  student. 
There  is  a  stirring  activity,  the  like  of  which  the 
world  has  never  witnessed.  Great  quickening  and 
stimulating  influences  have  been  at  work,  and  they 
have  resulted  in  a  marvelous  awakening  and  de- 
velopment of  consciousness.  If  we  regard  man  as 
energy  and  nature  as  energy,  we  may  affirm  that 
their  inherent  power  is  always  the  same  ;  yet  in  our 
day  the  energy  of  man  has  been  wonderfully 
aroused  and  the  energy  of  nature  has  been  brought 
to  unusual  exercise.  While  there  has  been  no  in- 
crease of  mass,  more  of  the  mass  has  been  put  into 
motion  than  heretofore.  Never  before  has  knowl- 
edge been  so  generally  diffused.  It  has  ceased  to 
be  a  monopoly  of  titled  nobility,  of  wealth,  and  of 
the  professions,  and  has  penetrated,  energized,  and 
moved  the  masses.  Education  is  a  purely  human 
factor,  depending  not  on  adventitious  circumstan- 
ces for  its  effect,  but  working  as  powerfully  on  the 
mind  of  the  pauper's  child  as  on  the  heir  of  a 


22  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

throne.  It  is,  like  truth,  one  of  the  equalizing- 
factors  of  humanity,  making  men  alike  in  spite  of 
their  external  positions  and  distinctions. 

The  means  which  brought  about  this  distinguish- 
ing feature  of  our  times,  namely,  the  great 
awakening  and  development  of  consciousness,  are 
too  evident  to  require  detailed  discussion.  As  is 
usual  in  such  cases,  many  things  have  cooperated 
to  promote  this  result.  Schools  have  been  multi- 
plied, have  become  public  and  popular,  the  appli- 
ances of  education  have  been  vastly  improved, 
and  education  itself  has  been  made  obligatory  by 
the  state  or  else  by  force  of  circumstances.  Con- 
nected with  this  establishment  and  development 
of  common  education  is  the  press,  its  mightiest 
auxiliary.  So  vast  are  the  transformations  wrought 
by  these  two  factors  that  we  cannot  imagine  what 
a  condition  of  things  prevailed  when  there  was  no 
printing  press,  and  when  there  were  no  common 
schools.  These  two  forces  have  in  fact  inaugu- 
rated a  new  world.  Now  the  press  penetrates  all 
parts  of  the  world  and  brings  information  to  the 
most  remote  hamlet.  Not  its  mere  existence, 
which  has  already  continued  for  centuries,  is  the 
fact  we  here  consider.  Like  the  common  schools, 
the  press  has  grown,  and  it  required  centuries  of 
development  in  order  to  attain  its  present  magni- 
tude and  power.  It  is  the  influence  which  it  has 
now  attained — an  influence  great  beyond  all  com- 
putation— which  is  the  significant  fact  to  be  con- 


CHA RA  C TERIS TICS  OF  THE  A  GE.  28 

sidered  in  discussing  the  characteristics  of  the  age. 
^  Literature  has  become  universal  and  is  constantly 
on  the  increase.  Besides  the  millions  of  copies  of 
daily,  weekly,  and  monthly  newspapers  and  jour- 
nals, there  appear  annually  scores  of  thousands  of 
books.  The  mind  is  not  able  to  form  a  definite 
conception  of  the  millions  which  express  the  num- 
ber of  copies  of  papers  and  volumes  constantly 
dropping  from  the  press.  To  these  inestimably 
great  forces  must  be  added  the  modern  postal 
arrangements,  a  marvel  of  perfection ;  the  tele- 
graph and  the  telephone,  all  important  factors  in 
the  spread  of  knowledge.  Yet  all  these  are  but  a 
few  members  in  the  group  of  modern  agencies  for 
the  means  of  general  enlightenment.  The  modern 
facilities  of  intercourse  make  communication  and 
travel  easy ;  we  say  that  time  and  space  are 
annihilated ;  foreign  parts  are  accessible  to  such  j 
even  as  have  but  limited  means,  and  a  trip  around 
the  world  has  become  a  diversion.  The  horizon  of 
all  classes  has  been  enlarged  to  such  an  extent 
that  the  whole  world  has  become  the  immediate 
environment.  The  capitals,  the  maritime  ports, 
the  large  cities  and  the  centres  of  power,  have 
more  influence  than  formerly.  The  means  of 
communication  have  ended  the  isolation  possible 
in  other  days.  It  really  means  more  to  live  now 
than  a  century  ago,  because  power  has  a  larger 
sphere  of  operation,  and  influence  is  more  rapidly 
and  more  widely  diffused.     The  wind  that  form- 


34  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

erly  caused  a  ripple  on  a  pond  may  now  agitate  a 
sea  that  touches  all  shores  and  affects  all  lands. 
Therefore  the  dominant  factors  have  become  more 
dominant  than  ever  ;  from  their  centre  they  reach 
a  circumference  whose  limit  is  the  globe.  So  con- 
stant and  so  rapid  is  now  the  communication  that 
thought  continually  tends  to  become  interna- 
tional. Important  discoveries,  significant  tenden- 
cies, and  popular  agitations  can  no  longer  be 
limited  by  nations,  mountains,  seas  or  continents. 
Not  only  thoughts,  but  likewise  interests  and 
movements  quickl}^  become  international.  Thus 
whatever  is  of  especial  weight  now  finds  the  world 
an  interested  audience.  While  the  known  world 
has  become  our  neighbor,  there  are  ceaseless  ex- 
plorations of  unknown  parts,  so  that  soon  there 
likely  will  be  no  more  worlds  to  conquer.  The 
desire  for  knowledge,  the  ambition  for  fame,  the 
love  of  adventure,  the  greed  for  gain,  and  the 
divine  spirit  of  missions,  have  all  contributed  to 
make  man  familiar  with  inhospitable  as  well  as 
with  the  habitable  parts  of  the  globe.  Africa  has 
been  explored,  Greenland  has  been  traversed,  the 
polar  regions  have  been  entered.  The  actual 
achievements  of  modern  exploration  throw  into 
shade  the  ancient  fables  of  adventure  and  dis- 
covery. 

It  is  enough  simply  to  call  these  things  to  mind, 
and  therefore  only  a  panoramic  view  of  them  is 
here  attempted.     While   the   details   are   endless, 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  25 

the  general  facts  are  familiar  to  all.     But  whether 
we  stop  with  the  general  facts  or  enter  upon  de- 
tails, we  can  form  no  adequate  conception  of  the 
power   exerted  and  the  changes   made   by  these 
modern  factors  of  civilization.     The  world  is  rap- 
idly becoming   cosmopolitan.      Cities   are   every- 
where   monotonously    alike:    and   the   cities   are 
pushing  their  views,  their  fashions,  their  manners, 
their  phrases,   and  their   vices   into   the   country. 
The  newspaper,  burdened   with  the  facts  of  the 
world,   has    suppressed    folk-lore    and    banished 
troubadours.    Travelers  seek  out-of-the-way  places 
to  find  relics  of  former  customs  and  fashions  ;  but 
the  country  folk  are  ashamed  of  their  peculiarities 
and  ape  the  cities.     Call  it  a  lowering,  call  it  an 
elevating  process,  there  is  a  strong  tendency  to  a 
common  level  for  all  humanity. 

In  this  enlargement  of  view  and  in  this  tendency 
to  internationalism  of  thought  and  interest  we 
have  a  characteristic  of  the  times  which  affects 
every  phase  of  life.  That  enlightenment  is  more 
general  than  heretofore,  expresses  only  a  part  of 
this  modern  peculiarity.  The  enlightenment  itself 
differs  from  that  of  former  ages.  The  kind  and 
the  sphere  of  knowledge  have  changed.  Intelli- 
gence has  come  to  mean  a  knowledge  of  the  world 
at  large,  and  an  interest  in  what  transpires  abroad 
as  well  as  in  home  affairs.  The  result  is  a  peculiar 
kind  of  education,  namely,  in  breadth,  in  multi- 
plicity,  in   heterogeneity,    and   in   details.      This 


26  THE  AGE  AND   THE  CHURCH. 

education  is  often  of  the  most  superficial  charac- 
ter, requiring  less  a  substantial  intellectual  effort 
than  an  abuse  of  the  memory  in  matters  read  only 
to  be  forgotten.  The  trend  is  to  cultivate  a  gen- 
eration of  distracted  readers  rather  than  of  pro- 
found thinkers.  Objects  of  no  direct  concern  to 
the  reader  are  presented  in  such  multitudes  and 
without  system  as  to  be  bewildering.  Nothing  is 
long  before  the  mind,  nothing  is  carefully  consid- 
ered, nothing  requires  the  exertion  of  intellect  to 
the  utmost.  The  thoughts  of  others  take  the 
place  of  original  thought,  information  is  substi- 
tuted for  ideas,  and  a  knowledge  as  shallow  as  it  is 
worthless  often  passes  for  modern  intelligence. 
Newspapers  sink  to  the  level  of  vulgar  gossip,  and 
the  ability  to  satisfy  idle  curiosity  is  frequently 
their  highest  standard  of  excellence.  Sensational 
methods  are  adopted,  exciting  details  are  sought, 
and  thus  an  appetite  for  what  is  still  more  exciting 
and  more  sensational  is  cultivated.  The  multitude 
of  home  and  foreign  affairs,  in  which  the  reader 
has  scarcely  any  other  interest  than  idle  curiosity, 
is  calculated  to  deaden  the  sensibilities  and  weaken 
thought,  rather  than  to  develop  the  emotional 
powers  or  rational  faculties.  When  people  live  on 
such  empty  news  as  their  chief  mental  food,  it  is 
not  surprising  that  an  enlightenment  is  the  result 
which  Cannot  in  any  true  sense  be  called  solid, 
deep,  or  elevating.  These  facts  are  patent  to  all 
who  study  the  press,  and  are  nowhere  more  faith- 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  27 

fully  exposed  than  by  such  journals  as  are  truly 
educators  and  seek  the  highest  interests  of  their 
readers. 

To  the  already-mentioned  causes  of  the  awaken- 
ing of  consciousness,  particularly  on  the  part  of 
the  masses,  we  must  add  the  greater  freedom  of 
the  people  and  their  increased  interest  in  affairs, 
especially  in  politics.  With  the  privileges  the  re- 
sponsibility of  the  people  has  increased.  They 
have  greater  influence  than  formerly,  their  affairs 
depend  more  on  themselves,  they  are  in  touch  with 
more  objects,  and  are  obliged  to  consider  much 
which  was  until  recently  wholly  beyond  their 
reach.  All  these  things  have  aroused  the  masses, 
they  have  attained  their  majority,  or  are  at  least 
convinced  that  they  have  done  so,  and  are  rapidly 
developing  the  consciousness  that  has  been  awak- 
ened. 

The  processes  especially  prominent  in  this  awak- 
ening must  be  traced  back  at  least  as  far  as  the 
Reformation.  In  more  recent  times  the  American 
and  French  revolutions,  the  introduction  and  de- 
velopment of  machinery,  and  numerous  popular 
movements  and  uprisings,  have  brought  the  masses 
to  the  front,  have  made  them  aware  of  their  con- 
ditions, and  have  enabled  them  to  realize  their 
power.  Never  before  have  the  masses  had  the 
same  privileges,  freedom,  and  advantages,  as  at 
present,  and  never  does  their  lot  in  general  seem 
to  have  been  better  ;  yet  they  are  more    restless 


28  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

and  turbulent  than  ever.  The  explanation  is 
found  in  the  awakening  of  their  consciousness,  in 
having  become  aware  of  themselves,  of  their 
needs,  of  their  rights,  and  of  their  possibilities. 
The  means  of  commnnication  have  enabled  them 
to  form  an  international  solidarity.  They  have 
learned  the  power  of  organization  and  of  agita- 
tion. Their  intelligence  and  privileges  have  been 
a  spur  to  ambition  and  hope.  Not  the  least  factor 
is  the  conviction  that  they  make  demands  which 
are  just  and  whose  realization  cannot  be  distant. 

With  much  truth  this  has  been  called  the  age  of 
the  masses.  Their  relative  prominence  as  com- 
pared with  former  times  gives  our  age  some  of  its 
most  marked  features.  Scholarship  and  culture, 
as  well  as  politics  and  industries,  must  reckon  with 
them.  If  they  cannot  be  leavened  with  the  culture 
of  the  day  and  be  made  a  factor  in  the  processes  of 
civilization,  they  may  overthrow  the  culture  which 
is  the  culmination  of  many  ages  of  progress.  It  is 
considerations  like  these  which  give  such  momen- 
tous importance  to  the  rising  of  the  masses.  Not 
only  what  the  masses  are  and  demand  must  be 
considered,  but  also  the  fact  that  the  more  favored 
classes  are  largely  absorbed  by  movements  among 
the  poorer.  These  movements  have  arrested  the 
attention  of  thrones  and  governments,  are  shaping 
parties  and  determining  legislation,  are  seriously 
affecting  philosophy,  literature,  and  art,  and  are 
forcing  the  church  and  society  at  large  to  ponder 


CHA  RA  C  TERIS  TICS  OF  THE  A  GE.  29 

the  duty  of  the  favored  to  the  less  favored  brother. 
Not  only  what  the  masses  themselves  have  become 
and  demand  makes  this  their  age,  but  also  the  fact 
that  they  are  the  focus  into  which  the  thought,  the 
feeling,  and  the  life  of  all  classes  are  being  concen- 
trated. 

Education  has  served  to  minimize  the  real  dif- 
ferences between  men.  It  has  developed  in  the 
lowly  members  of  mankind  certain  human  ele- 
ments which  may  exalt  them  far  above  those  more 
favorably  situated.  Education  deals  with  the  ele- 
ments of  our  common  humanity,  not  with  excep- 
tional circumstances  ;  and  what  it  develops  in  the 
rich  it  develops  likewise  in  the  poor.  We  can  call 
it  the  great  humanizer.  A  people  with  the  same 
education  for  all  will  either  wipe  out  or  ignore  the 
hereditary  distinctions.  If  the  education  is  of  the 
true  kind,  it  will  tend  to  put  inner  tests  of  excel- 
lence for  outer  ones. 

But  there  is  another  marked  effect  as  the  result 
of  general  education.  It  seems  to  put  individuals 
on  a  common  level,  when  this  is  in  reality  not  the 
case.  When  all  have  the  same  opportunities,  men 
are  apt  to  estimate  themselves  according  to  these 
opportunities,  not  according  to  the  use  they  make 
of  them,  and  not  according  to  their  actual  attain- 
ments. In  an  era  when  the  equality  of  men  is 
emphasized,  it  is  common  for  all  to  think  them- 
selves equal  by  nature  and  therefore  equal  in  fact, 
not  taking  into  account  what  has  been  made  of 


30  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH, 

that  nature  by  training.  It  often  happens  that 
mere  legal  equality  is  supposed  to  confer  universal 
equality  :  as  if  the  law  could  make  anything  of  us, 
instead  of  being  a  mere  declaration  of  our  legal 
relations  and  treatment.  The  equality  of  men  as 
now  held  by  many  is  not  merely  a  fiction,  but  a 
most  pernicious  deception.  Men  are  not  equal  in 
fact,  and  that  largely  because  some  use  their  ad- 
vantages, and  are  worthy  in  mind  and  character, 
while  others  neglect  or  abuse  them,  and  are  igno- 
rant and  base.  But  the  fiction  of  equality  serves 
to  promote  the  fiction  that  as  all  men  can  cast  the 
same  powerful  ballot,  so  they  can  alike  judge  of  all 
that  transpires.  The  consequence  is  that  even 
subjects  which  requires  special  preparation  in 
order  to  be  properly  estimated  are  judged  by  the 
masses.  Science  is  popularlized  for  their  sake, 
scholarship  is  made  easy  so  that  they  may  appro- 
priate it.  Papers  and  books  are  devoted  to  this 
popularizing  process,  and  the  opinion  is  spread 
that,  because  nothing  is  too  good  for  the  masses, 
so  nothing  is  beyond  them.  Yet  scientists  and 
philosophers  protest  that  a  competent  judgment  of 
their  labors  requires  a  scientific  and  philosophic 
mind. 

Immaturity  of  judgment  coupled  with  conceit  is 
one  of  the  signs  of  the  times.  The  people,  once  too 
much  ignored,  have  now  by  a  kind  of  reaction  made 
themselves  masters  in  all  things.  Boys  and  girls 
who  cannot  decide  the  profoundest  religious  prob- 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  31 

lems  are  in  danger  of  not  being-  considered  very 
bright  by  their  equals. 

We  live  in  an  era  when  popularity  is  commonly 
viewed  as  the  decisive  and  final  test.  Perhaps  the 
authorship  of  the  Pentateuch  will  yet  be  submitted 
to  a  popiilar  vote.  The  popular  level  is  the  sum- 
mit of  excellence.  Papers,  books,  preachers,  teach- 
ers, politicians,  principles,  theories,  churches,  are 
valued  according  to  their  popularity.  The  popular 
voice  determines  questions  of  truth  and  right ;  and 
in  religious  assemblies  the  way  of  salvation  is  the 
way  the  majority  vote.  Even  the  judicial  ermine 
may  receive  its  sanctity  from  the  popular  breath! 
"The  voice  of  the  people  is  the  voice  of  God." 
Whoever  declares  that  the  demagogue,  the  saloon, 
and  the  corrupt  practices  of  popular  politicians  are 
not  the  will  of  God,  blasphemes  the  divine  majesty 
of  the  people! 

When  the  masses  rule,  only  that  of  course  can 
rule  which  reigns  in  the  masses.  Whether  this 
reigning  element  is  the  highest  and  deepest  intel- 
lect, the  purest  nobility,  and  the  most  divine  spirit- 
uality, every  thinker  can  decide  for  himself.  One 
thing  is  beyond  question :  there  is  an  almost  irre- 
sistible tendency  to  make  the  popular  level  the 
test  of  every  thing,  and  to  drag  all  persons  to  this 
level  and  keep  them  there.  It  has  been  observed 
by  students  of  the  times  that  individuality  has  be- 
comie  exceedingly  difficult.  So  largely  have  the 
world  and  society  absorbed  men  that  the  individual 


32  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

gives  up  himself,  abandons  his  peculiarity,  yields 
himself  to  things,  and  ignores  what  is  racy,  for  the 
sake  of  becoming  popular. 

The  crowning  glory  of  the  processes  for  a  cen- 
tury is  the  growing  emancipation  of  the  people  ; 
and  the  results  attained  seem  to  be  but  the  begin- 
ning of  a  still  greater  emancipation  during  the 
coming  century.  What  wonder  that,  in  the  mighty 
forward  bound,  many  go  too  far  ?  But  thinkers 
and  educators,  who  seek  the  true  welfare  of  the 
masses,  will  strive  to  make  them  see  their  actual 
condition,  for  the  sake  of  leading  them  to  a  higher 
plane.  Popular  conceit  is  the  deadly  foe  of  such 
as  cherish  it.  The  blessing  of  privilege  is  in  its 
use  ;  its  abuse  turns  it  into  a  curse.  There  is  no 
worse  tyranny  than  that  of  ignorant,  self-sufficient, 
and  corrupt  majorities.  The  best  scholar  is  one 
who  rejoices  in  being  of  the  people,  not  haughtily 
and  aristocratically  isolated  above  them.  And  be- 
cause he  feels  himself  one  of  the  people,  he  will 
recognize  his  responsibility  to  his  fellow  men.  He 
is  leaven  that  works  in  the  meal,  not  the  meal 
which  the  unthinking  ones  leaven.  When  we 
honestly  consider  our  times,  we  must  weigh  the 
disadvantages  as  well  as  the  advantages  which 
spring  from  the  reign  of  the  masses.  This  reign 
has  its  unquestioned  political  rights  ;  but  it  also 
abounds  in  wrong,  when  it  usurps  authority  in  mat- 
ters wholly  beyond  its  proper  sphere. 

Further  on  we  shall  discuss  more  fully  the  ris- 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE,  33 

ing  of  the  masses  as  seen  in  socialism ;  here  we 
consider  it  merely  as  one  of  the  general  character- 
istics of  the  day.  But  this  rising  is  only  one  of  the 
many  movements  in  our  times.  The  very  agitation 
on  the  part  of  labor  is  calculated  to  arouse  the  op- 
position of  other  classes,  thus  producing  a  reaction. 
The  labor  movement  is  itself  largely  a  reaction 
against  the  treatment  received  by  laborers  from 
capital,  from  monopolies,  from  intellect  and  cul- 
ture, from  the  churches,  and  from  the  more  fa- 
vored classes  generally. 

When  now  we  turn  from  the  masses  to  the  dom- 
inant factor  in  the  intellectual  pursuits  of  the  day, 
we  name  without  hesitation  Natural  Science.  So 
evident  is  this,  to  any  one  who  takes  a  survey  of 
the  whole  domain  of  thought,  that  it  requires  no 
special  proof.  Not  only  is  natural  science  the 
dominant  intellectual  factor  of  the  day,  but  the 
movement  among  the  masses  is  also  avowedly 
based  largely  on  natural  science.  Particularly  in 
Germany,  where  -  socialism  is  most  thoroughly  or- 
ganized and  most  systematically  developed,  the 
claim  is  constantly  made  that  the  movement  rests 
on  science,  and  that  its  future  course  will  depend 
mainly  on  the  development  of  science.  Here  then 
we  have  a  factor  whose  influence  prevails  among 
the  intellectual  classes  as  well  as  among  the  masses  ; 
the  present  dominance  of  natural  science  therefore 
demands  especial  consideration. 

Ours  is  called  a  ''scientific"  age,  and  the  wel- 
3 


34  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

come  flattery  is  gratefully  accepted.  The  exact 
application  of  the  term  is  not  at  once  evident,  and 
yet  for  our  purpose  this  application  is  important. 
That  the  age  itself  has  really  become  scientific 
can  seriously  be  meant  only  ironically.  The  truly 
scientific  men  are  scarce ;  but  these  few  are  sup- 
posed to  give  the  age  its  character.  It  is  the  age 
of  science,  as  there  was  an  age  of  Shakespeare, 
and  an  age  of  Goethe,  a  single  individual  or  pur- 
suit standing  for  the  age.  The  second  and  third 
rate  scientists  are  very  numerous,  doing  such  nec- 
essary work  in  science  as  making  experiments  and 
observations,  registering  and  classifying  facts, 
without  that  profound  inquiry  and  severe  thought 
which  are  characteristics  of  the  true  scientist.  In 
much  of  what  is  called  science,  to  say  nothing  of 
other  departments  of  thought  and  of  the  age  at 
large,  the  scientific  spirit,  the  absolute  method,  the 
mathematical  exactness,  and  the  severe  limitations 
of  science,  are  wanting.  It  is  the  fate  of  science, 
as  well  as  of  religion,  to  attract  by  its  very  excel- 
lence charlatans  and  hypocrites.  Still  it  is  true 
that  science  has  become  the  most  powerful  factor 
in  modern  intellectual  life.  Not  only  are  its  stu- 
dents very  numerous,  but  the  effects  of  scientific 
investigation  are  powerfully  felt  throughout  the 
domain  of  intellect.  Great  discoveries  have  been 
made  in  natural  science  which  have  revolutionized 
thought  and  life.  There  is  in  science  a  coopera- 
tion of  laborers,  and  also  a  continuity  of  progress, 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  35 

which  are  not  found  in  an  equal  degree  in  any  other 
discipline.  Ever  since  the  days  of  Galileo  there  has 
been  a  growth  in  science,  which  has  gradually  but 
surely  undermined  other  intellectual  processes  and 
taken  their  place.  During  the  present  century  the 
progress  has  been  very  marked,  even  marvelous, 
so  that  now  natural  science  rules  in  the  realm  of 
intellect. 

While  its  discoveries  have  arrested  the  attention 
of  the  cultured  classes  and  the  masses,  it  is  the 
method  of  natural  science  which  has  exerted  the 
most  powerful  influence  on  other  intellectual  pur- 
suits. The  method  is  definitely  fixed,  it  is  mathe- 
matically exact,  and  the  results  attained  by  it  are 
absolute  and  final.  The  ground  once  gone  over 
need  not  be  traveled  again  and  again,  but  the  har- 
vests once  gathered  can  be  used  as  seed  for  all 
future  progress.  The  objects  with  which  natural 
science  deals  are  definite,  thousands  can  examine 
them  under  exactly  the  same  conditions,  and  the 
circumstances  and  conditions  can  be  varied  at  will 
for  the  sake  of  experiment.  So  superior  are  these 
advantages,  that  the  strongest  efforts  are  made  to 
model  other  studies  after  natural  science  ;  and  it 
has  become  common  to  value  all  intellectual  pur- 
suits in  proportion  as  they  can  be  made  to  approach 
scientific  definiteness  and  exactness  and  finality. 

The  application  of  scientific  discovery  to  the  arts 
and  industries  and  commerce  is  not  specially  con- 
sidered here.     Not  only  is  it  a  powerful  factor  in 


36  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

giving  prominence  and  popularity  to  science,  but  it 
also  has  a  very  strong  influence  on  the  tendencies 
of  the  day,  particularly  on  the  materialistic  and 
practical  interests.  But  this  will  become  more 
evident  further  on ;  and,  then,  much  of  it  is  too 
patent  to  require  special  mention. 

Here  we  are  more  concerned  with  the  power  of 
natural  science  in  determining  the  character  of  the 
intellect  and  the  tendency  of  thought.  That  it  has 
become  the  controlling  factor  in  a  very  large  part 
of  the  intellectual  life  is  seen  in  positivism,  in 
agnosticism,  in  materialism,  in  psychology,  and  in 
the  discredit  into  which  studies  less  mathematically 
exact  than  natural  science  have  fallen.  It  is  this: 
influence,  together  with  the  actual  discoveries  in 
natural  science  and  their  applications,  which  en- 
title our  age  to  be  called  scientific. 

The  relative  prominence  of  science  and  philos- 
phy  has  completely  changed,  science  now  occupy- 
ing the  front  rank,  formerly  so  generally  accorded 
to  philosophy.  The  conclusions  of  science  are 
universally  accepted,  while  those  of  philosophy 
are  regarded  with  suspicion.  Science  pushes  stead- 
ily on  in  its  course  of  progress,  while  confusion 
prevails  in  philosophy,  its  aim,  its  principles,  its 
method,  its  objects,  and  its  results  being  subjects 
of  dispute  among  philosophers  themselves.  As  a 
consequence,  that  speculation  which  is  so  charac- 
teristic of  philosophy  has  fallen  into  disrepute. 

The  predominance  of  natural  science  was  pro- 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  37 

tQoted  by  the  fact  that  the  philosophical  systems, 
which  had  received  such  wide-spread  influence,  lost 
their  prominence,  and  were  regarded  as  teeming 
with  fallacies.  That  systems  once  so  powerful 
should  at  last  be  rejected  as  false,  led  scholars  to 
question  the  validity  of  all  philosophical  inquiries. 
As  one  system  of  philosophy  overthrew  another, 
and  as  principles  formerly  held  to  be  eternal  proved 
unsatisfactory,  scholars .  turned  more  eagerly  to 
a  method  which  promised  absolute  certainty  and 
unchangeable  results.  They  were  unwilling  to 
build  on  foundations  that  might  be  undermined. 

Science  deals  with  the  acknowledged  real,  and 
cultivates  a  taste  for  the  real.  The  reality  with 
which  it  deals  is  put  to  the  severest  tests  and  is 
brought  into  the  clearest  evidence.  In  other  de- 
partments the  reality  is  not  so  apparent,  at  least 
not  so  tangible.  To  the  certainty  of  reality  must 
be  added  the  practical  utility  of  the  objects  of 
natural  science.  Other  subjects  without  the  same 
evident  reality  and  utility  have  been  depreciated 
in  comparison  with  natural  science.  This  is  true 
of  the  classics,  of  history,  of  philosophy,  and  of 
other  studies.  Particularly  was  theology  depre- 
ciated, because  its  objects  are  neither  tangible, 
nor  mathematically  demonstrable.  So  large  a 
domain  of  absolute  certainty  and  reality  had  been 
conquered  in  natural  science  that  the  ideal,  the 
visionary,  and  the  possessions  of  faith  were  thought 
to  be  superfluous.    Then  the  habit  of  testing  every 


38  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

object  before  the  mind  by  the  standard  of  the  ex- 
actness and  certainty  of  mathematics  made  con- 
ditions with  which,  from  the  very  nature  of  the 
case,  religion  cannot  comply.  Especially  when  the 
senses  are  made  the  ultimate  test  of  real  existence 
must  religion  suffer,  as  well  as  all  that  pertains  to 
the  ideals  of  the  mind.  Besides,  certain  theories 
advanced  by  scientists  seemed  to  conflict  with  the 
generally  received  religious  views.  Evolution 
affected  deeply  the  prevalent  conception  of  the 
universe,  and  threatened  to  overthrow  the  theo- 
logical doctrines  of  creation,  of  design,  and  of 
miracles. 

The  suspicion  aroused  by  natural  science,  re- 
specting the  reality  of  the  objects  of  religion  was 
not  new.  The  negative  attitude  of  leading  scien- 
tists towards  religious  certainty  and  reality  was 
similar  to  that  for  a  long  time  held  by  various 
philosophical  thinkers.  The  empirical  tendencies 
in  the  philosophy  of  England,  France,  and  America 
had  concentrated  the  attention  on  the  objects  of 
natural  science,  while  religion  was  treated  by  a 
large  part  of  this  philosophy,  particularly  by  Hume 
and  his  followers,  as  either  an  empty  ideal,  or  else 
as  an  affair  of  a  doubtful  faith.  The  logic  of  an 
exclusive  empiricism  is  agnosticism.  Kant's  philos- 
ophy has  often  been  proclaimed  as  rational,  in  dis- 
tinction from  the  empirical  tendency  which  Locke 
inaugurated  ;  yet  the  result  of  its  rational  specu- 
lation is  largely  the  same  as  that  of  empiricism. 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  39 

Whatever  reality  transcends  the  test  of  the  senses 
lies,  according  to  Kant,  beyond  the  realm  of  the 
demonstrable.  If  empiricism  assumes  the  impossi- 
bility of  metaphysics,  Kant's  philosophy  professes 
to  demonstrate  this  impossibility.  Instead,  how- 
ever, of  overthrowing  ethics  and  religion,  Kant 
professes  to  give  them  an  immovable  basis.  But 
this  basis  consists  of  postulates,  which  are  not  the- 
oretical necessities  and  are  not  demonstrable,  but 
are  required  by  the  practical  reason.  As  he  him- 
self said,  Kant  destroyed  knowledge  in  order  to 
get  room  for  faith. 

It  is  significant  that  the  empirical  and  the  Kan- 
tian philosophy  united  in  emphasizing  the  world  of 
the  senses  as  the  only  demonstrable  reality.  The 
attainment  of  the  same  result  by  systems  so  differ- 
ent in  their  start,  in  their  principles  and  methods, 
was  certainly  remarkable,  and  of  powerful  effect. 
The  present  opposition  to  metaphysics  in  Germany 
is  a  product  mainly  of  Kant's  philosophy,  and 
affords  a  mighty  lever  to  empiricism.  Foreigners 
have  expressed  their  astonishment  that  German 
philosophers  of  the  present  show  a  strong  inclina- 
tion toward  the  empirical  English  philosophers  ; 
the  surprise  must  end  as  soon  as  the  conclusions  of 
the  Kantian  philosophy  are  fully  appreciated. 
Those  who  demanded  a  return  to  Kant  usually 
meant  a  return  to  his  theory  of  knowledge,  not  to 
his  postulates,  on  which  ethics  and  religion  are 
based. 


40  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

It  is  thus  clear  how  both  empiricism  and  the 
Kantian  philosophy  prepared  the  way  for  the  tri- 
umphs of  natural  science.  But  for  understanding 
the  trend  of  modern  thought  another  fact  must  be 
considered.  Among  the  most  powerful  factors  in 
recent  intellectual  tendencies  is  the  critical  spirit, 
due  chiefly  to  the  philosophy  of  Kant.  His  three 
principal  works  are  Critiques,  and  his  system  is 
called  the  Critical  Philosophy.  While  much  of 
what  he  taught  has  been  rejected  or  superseded, 
the  critical  spirit  which  he  introduced  has  con- 
tinued and  wrought  powerful  effects.  Objects 
which  the  mind  had  accepted  without  the  slightest 
suspicion  were  now  questioned,  and  the  proof  of 
their  validity  was  demanded.  The  mind  was 
required  to  give  the  strictest  account  of  all  its 
possessions,  to  show  exactly  what  they  are,  whence 
and  how  they  came,  and  to  what  validity  they  can 
lay  claim.  Thus  knowledge,  faith,  fancy,  and 
opinion,  all  must  be  critically  investigated  and  dis- 
criminated, and  each  must  give  the  reason  for  its 
existence.  It  is  by  means  of  this  merciless  criti- 
cism, that  the  mind  was  made  conscious  of  its  own 
character  and  of  the  nature  of  its  contents.  Error, 
however  dearly  cherished,  was  ruthlessly  exposed 
and  unconditionally  rejected.  Sometimes  the  men- 
tal revolution  thus  inaugurated  worked  with  such 
a  rash  fury  as  to  endanger  what  on  more  calm  ex- 
amination proved  itself  true  and  valuable.  It  is 
not   strange  that   the  critical   revolution  was  de- 


CHA RA  CTERISTICS  OF  THE  A  GE.  41 

structive  rather  than  constructive,  negative  rather 
than  positive.  Intent  on  exposing  and  overthrow- 
ing error,  it  revealed  such  a  multitude  of  them  in 
the  human  mind,  all  cherished  as  truth,  that  it 
actually  became  a  question  whether  that  mind  has 
any  absolute  truth,  whether  it  is  capable  of  discov- 
ering and  establishing  eternal  principles,  and 
whether  it  is  not  the  dupe  of  its  own  processes 
and  fallacies  ?  Skepticism  was  the  natural  result, 
a  skepticism  something  like  that  into  which 
thought  had  fallen  in  Greece  at  the  time  when 
Socrates  appeared. 

Gradually  this  critical  spirit  extended  to  all 
departments,  determined  to  leave  nothing  that 
pertains  to  the  mind  unaffected.  It  became  a 
habit  and  a  method.  So  dominant  has  this  spirit 
become  that  ours  is  justly  called  the  critical  age. 
A  sharp  distinction  is  made  between  mental  con- 
cepts and  the  reality  for  which  they  are  supposed 
to  stand.  It  soon  became  evident  that  the  mind 
is  liable  to  move  among  fictions  as  if  realities. 
The  ignorant  take  their  mental  concepts,  without 
criticism,  for  realities  outside  of  the  mind.  This 
is  the  naive  view,  the  standpoint  of  the  child. 
The  critical  spirit  discriminates  between  external 
reality  and  our  intellectual  apprehension  of  it. 
Thus  the  mental  world  in  which  a  man  lives  as  his 
reality  may  be  very  different  from  the  actual 
world. 

The  ultimate  aim  of  the  critical  spirit  was  the 


42  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

discovery  of  reality ;  and  every  thing  was  made  to 
minister  to  this  discovery.  Reality  itself  was  more 
carefully  defined ;  the  mind  was  concentrated  on 
reality  as  alone  worthy  of  its  search  and  confi- 
dence, and  its  abhorrence  of  error  and  deceptions 
was  intensified.  For  a  long  time  noetics  or  the 
theory  of  knowledge  was  dominant  in  philosophy, 
the  supreme  questions  being,  What  is  knowledge  ? 
How  is  it  related  to  being  ?  What  are  the  criteria 
of  knowledge  ?  What  are  the  limits  of  knowledge  ? 

The  dominant  aim  of  the  critical  spirit,  the  dis- 
covery of  reality,  is  manifest  in  all  its  operations. 
In  the  general  problem  of  knowledge,  it  wants  to 
discrirninate  between  genuine  knowledge  and  the 
other  contents  of  consciousness.  In  the  problem 
of  the  relation  of  mental  conceptions  to  reality,  it 
wants  to  determine  what  the  universe  of  being  is. 
When  it  becomes  biblical  criticism,  it  wants  to  get 
the  exact  and  total  reality  of  Scripture,  so  far  as 
authorship,  text,  events,  chronology,  and  teachings 
are  concerned.  The  aim  is  truth,  the  truth  re- 
specting reality.  So  in  historical  criticism,  the 
aim  is  to  get  through  the  preserved  records  and 
monuments  to  the  actual  events.  As  through  our 
mental  representations  we  want  to  get  to  reality, 
so  through  the  records  the  historian  wants  to  get 
behind  the  records  to  the  real  occurrences. 

Men  of  course  had  always  sought  reality,  but 
had  been  too  easily  satisfied  that  it  was  found. 
They  had  not  sought  it  critically,  and  what  they 


CHAR  A  CTERISTICS  OF  THE  A  GE.  43 

found  was  not  subjected  to  critical  tests.     All  this 
has  been   changed    during  the   era  of   criticism. 
Whereas  formerly  the  search  was  hardly  a  definite 
purpose,  reality  being  thought  discoverable  with- 
out any  distinct  aim,  the  real  was  now  chosen  as 
the  specific  and   dominant  object  of  all  inquiry. 
There  was  a  cultus  of  reality  which  had  heretofore 
been  unknown.     And  it  is  characteristic  of  modern 
thought  that  this  conscious  search  for  reality  is 
not  confined  to  the  philosophic  few,  but  has  be- 
come  general.       Through   the   popularization   of 
thought,  so  common  now,  the  masses  have  learned 
to  discriminate  between  mental  presentations  and 
external  reality.     They  have  been  taught  that  the 
mind  may  be  the  home  of  fictions,  which  work  with 
all  the  power  of  realities  and  actualities.     Hence 
skepticism,  formerly  an  exception,  has  now  affected 
the  people.     The  result  is  seen  especially  in  the 
domain  of   religious  faith.     The  masses  now  in- 
quire into  the  reality  in  their  faith  and  hope,  even 
though  the  means  for  answering  the  inquiries  are 
not  within  their  reach.      Thus  the  effects  of  the 
critical  spirit  are  felt  by  minds  that  do  not  under- 
stand its  nature,  and  are  hardly  aware  of  its  exist- 
ence  and   operations.       This    spirit    has    become 
epidemic,   so    that    it    involuntarily    and    uncon- 
sciously seizes  and  controls  men. 

As  the  worship  of  God  is  essential  to  religion, 
although  religions  may  have  different  doctrines 
respecting  the  nature  of    God;    so  the  cultus  of 


44  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

reality  is  the  dominant  factor  in  modern  thought, 
although  the  nature  of  this  reality  may  be  in  dis- 
pute. In  this  cultus  the  critical  spirit,  empirical 
philosophy,  and  natural  science  are  united.  Real- 
ity is  the  centre  toward  which  modern  thought 
and  research  gravitate.  This  reality  is  conceived 
as  not  synonymous  with  mental  object,  opinion, 
belief.  Reality  is  sought  which  does  not  depend 
upon  our  conception,  but  of  which  our  conception 
is  the  product. 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE,  45 


CHAPTER  III. 

Characteristics  of  the  Age  (Continued). 

Reality  is  the  conscious  demand  of  the  awakened 
age.  Even  those  not  fully  awake  are  affected  by 
the  general  trend  of  conscious  intellect.  But,  as 
we  have  seen,  the  reality  that  is  merely  subjective 
no  longer  satisfies  a  critical,  empirical,  scientific 
age.  Too  often  what  seemed  a  reality  to  the  mind 
was,  without  further  inquiry,  endowed  with  ob- 
jective reality;  but  thought  has  discovered  the 
haunt  of  illusions,  and  is  resolved  henceforth  to 
banish  them.  The  age  in  its  deepest  thought  and 
dominant  aim  demands  a  reality,  whose  subjective 
validity  rests  on  the  proof  of  its  objective  actuality. 
We  can  therefore  say  that  a  reality  which  attests 
itself  to  the  mind  as  real  is  sought. 

Summing  up  the  results  of  our  investigation  we 
therefore  affirm  that  the  tendency  to  Objective 
Realism  is  the  leading  characteristic  of  the  age,  the 
dominant  factor  in  thought,  the  ruling  power  in 
the  movements  of  the  day. 

We  have  seen  that  the  powers  which  dominate 
us  are  not  always  distinctly  outlined  in  conscious- 
ness.    It  must  not  be  thought  strange,  therefore, 


46  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

if  some,  who  are  not  aware  of  any  particular  factor 
as  ruling  the  age,  do  not  at  once  recognize  as 
dominant  the  one  which  has  just  been  indicated. 
If  the  process  which  has  led  us  to  the  discovery 
of  that  factor  does  not  convince  them  that  it  is 
dominant,  then  let  them  simply  apply  that  factor 
to  the  age,  and  thus  learn  whether  it  is  really  the 
chief  element  in  the  explanation  of  the  phenomena 
of  the  times.  If  this  test  is  satisfactory,  it  will 
furnish  indubitable  proof  that  the  chief  charac- 
teristic of  the  age  has  been  discovered.  Vision- 
aries continue  to  exist  and  superstitions  abound, 
and  there  may  be  movements  whose  impulse  is  not 
consciously  toward  reality  ;  but  such  elements  are 
common  to  all  ages,  and  are  by  no  means  charac- 
teristics of  this  particular  age. 

The  past  has  been  greatly  absorbed  by  the  con- 
templation of  values.  The  heart  was  won  by 
objects  which  interest  and  please,  which  meet 
some  craving  or  satisfy  an  aspiration.  Not  less 
now  than  formerly  do  the  real  or  imaginary  values 
attract  men ;  but  there  is  more  earnest  inquiry 
into  the  nature  of  the  supposed  values  and  into 
their  basis.  Men  may  pursue  a  dream  as  if  it  were 
a  most  precious  treasure.  This  is  now  realized ; 
therefore,  besides  the  contemplation  of  values,  we 
inquire  into  their  actuality,  whether  they  are  sub- 
stantial, resting  on  a  solid  basis,  abiding,  or  objects 
that  vanish  when  we  most  desire  to  seize  them 
Hope  is  not  less  dear  to  the  heart,  but  the  ground 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  47 

of  the  hope  is  subjected  to  severer  scnitiny  and  to 
more  radical  criticism.  Thus  the  important  dis- 
tinction between  a  reality  before  consciousness, 
and  a  reality  outside  of  consciousness,  has  now  be- 
come common.  Once  clearly  apprehended,  this 
distinction  makes  it  impossible  to  regard  the  whims 
and  fancies  of  the  mind  as  the  standards  of  reality. 
In  order  to  make  sure  of  the  real,  men  now  lay 
hold  of  the  nearest  object  of  whose  reality  they 
are  convinced,  while  they  persistently  refuse  to 
consider  whatever  seems  of  doubtful  validity. 
Where  demonstrations  are  demanded,  opinion  and 
faith  are  below  par. 

The  great  awakening  and  development  of  con- 
sciousness, which  have  culminated  in  the  demand 
for  objective  realism,  of  course  does  not  imply  an 
intuitive  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  reality.  Mod- 
ern research  emphasizes  the  question.  What  is 
reality  ?  And  it  is  in  the  answers  to  this  question 
that  the  greatest  conflicts  of  modern  thought  occur. 
In  its  search  for  reality  the  age  is  united ;  but  in 
its  interpretation  of  reality  the  age  is  divided. 

The  great  exaltation  of  power  in  our  day  is  an 
evidence  of  the  emphasis  placed  on  reality.  Power 
is  unmistakably  real  and  therefore  sought.  It  has 
taken  the  place  of  poetic  fancies  and  of  enraptur- 
ing visions.  Power,  admired  at  all  times,  has  in 
our  day  become  the  object  of  direct  search  and  has 
been  made  a  controlling  factor  in  literature.  The 
formerly  blind  influence  of  power  has  now  been 


48  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

consciously  apprehended  and  intelligently  formu- 
lated. What  men  can  do  has  become  the  test  of 
greatness.  Not  the  devotion,  the  learning,  or  the 
position  of  a  man  is  now  the  chief  consideration, 
but  his  inherent  strength,  his  actual  performance. 
Bismarck  and  Moltke  are  marked  illustrations,  and 
every  country  has  examples.  In  the  most  popular 
of  the  recent  systems  of  German  philosophy,  the 
will  is  made  the  essence  of  the  universe.  In  its 
deification  of  power,  literature  does  not  make  the 
ethical  element,  or  the  character  of  the  strength, 
the  main  thing,  but  power  itself,  power  for  its  own 
sake.  So  absorbed  is  our  age  by  mere  power  that 
the  aesthetic  as  well  as  the  moral  element  is  apt  to 
be  overlooked. 

The  search  for  truth,  so  marked  a  characteristic 
of  the  times,  is  but  another  form  of  the  general 
demand  for  reality.  Truth  is  a  mental  reality ; 
and  the  desire  for  it  has  been  intensified  by  the 
fact  that  the  human  mind  has  so  often  been  de- 
ceived. Truth  alone  is  recognized  as  satisfying 
and  enduring.  Yet  realism  in  the  sense  of  truth  is 
apt  to  be  the  aim  of  the  more  intellectual  of  an 
age,  rather  than  the  whole  generation.  To  the 
masses,  and  to  men  of  ordinary  culture,  truth  in  the 
abstract  seems  too  subtle,  too  vague,  as  the  chief 
object  of  search  ;  what  they  mean  by  reality  is 
something  more  concrete,  more  tangible,  or,  as 
they  would  likely  say,  more  real.  Truth,  in  fact, 
is  more  comprehensive  than  what  is  usually  meant 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE. 

by  reality.  Truth  is  purely  intellectual ;  but  ob- 
jective reality,  which  is  usually  meant  by  reality, 
exists  whether  or  not  intellectually  apprehended. 
Truth  is  limited  by  the  mind's  apprehension  ;  real- 
ity comprehends  the  universe  of  being,  whether 
apprehended  or  not. 

Were  we  to  consider  Christians  only,  we  should 
find  that  to  them  religion  is  the  highest  realism. 
They  regard  spiritual  objects  as  the  very  essence 
of  reality.  God  is  the  being  from,  through,  and 
to  whom  all  things  are.  But  as  we  are  now  con- 
sidering the  age  aside  from  the  church,  we  cannot 
emphasize  spiritual  or  Christian  realism. 

Clear  as  it  is  that  the  search  for  objective  realism 
interprets  the  age,  so  clear  likewise  is  the  nature 
of  the  reality  which  dominates  the  age.  It  is  the 
reality  of  the  senses,  the  tactual  and  immediately 
observable,  the  physical,  which  affects  what  is 
physical  in  us.  This  hard  reality,  which  forces 
itself  on  our  attention,  is  regarded  as  so  evident 
that  its  existence  cannot  be  doubted.  Many  have 
been  so  engrossed  by  the  palpably  real,  that  they 
want  to  consider  only  it  and  the  needs  which  it 
meets. 

The  power  of  the  nearest  and  most  obvious  real- 
ity over  thinking  minds,  as  well  as  over  the  masses, 
is  a  mark  of  our  times.  Lotze  and  other  philos- 
ophers have  found  a  deep  distrust  of  spirit  by  the 
spirit  a  present  characteristic.  The  mind,  by 
which  alone  matter  can  be  known,  has  actually 
4 


50  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

been  lost  in  matter.  The  senses  have  been  treated 
as  if  endowed  with  reason,  and  the  problem  of  the 
universe  has  been  interpreted  to  mean  the  count- 
ing, weighing,  measuring,  analyzing,  relating, 
labelling,  and  classifying  of  things  !  A  method 
valuable,  because  so  important  an  aid  to  thought, 
has  been  lauded  above  profound  thinking,  because 
by  means  of  it  the  thoughtless  were  supposed  to 
possess  as  great  a  power  as  the  thinkers.  In  order 
that  the  immediate  effect  of  force  on  the  senses 
might  not  be  perverted,  logic  was  ignored,  gener- 
alizations were  ridiculed  because  they  involved  too 
much  thought,  reason  was  dethroned,  and  a  com- 
prehensive view  of  the  universe  pronounced  im- 
possible ;  hence  mere  details  were  treated  as  if 
possessing  the  value  of  the  universe  itself.  Meta- 
physics was  denounced  by  materialism,  itself  the 
worst  form  of  unconscious  metaphysics.  Specu- 
lation was  decried,  and  then  what  was  called 
science  was  made  to  teem  with  speculation.  The 
unthinking  senses  were  supposed  to  pick  up  the 
problems  of  the  universe  from  the  surface  of 
things,  and  to  solve  them  by  picking  them  up. 
When  thought  was  nevertheless  permitted  to  soar 
above  the  things  to  which  the  senses  tethered  it, 
the  universe  was  apt  to  be  limited  by  the  analogical 
reasoning  of  a  narrow  specialty.  Not  to  the  think- 
ers in  science,  the  only  true  scientists,  but  to  infe- 
rior scientists,  and  to  such  as  had  been  affected  by 
some   kind  of   scientific   contagion,  reality  meant 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  51 

the  material  universe,  and  all  else  was  treated  as 
imagination. 

Materialism  is  nothing  but  a  philosophical  hy- 
pothesis ;  but  it  was  heralded  as  scientific,  and  this 
made  it  so  effective  with  the  masses.  Materialism 
as  a  working  theory  for  the  explanation  of  natural 
phenomena  has  great  advantages  ;  but  as  an  inter- 
pretation of  the  universe,  as  the  essence  of  all  be- 
ing, it  is  the  source  of  gross  abuses.  No  one 
knows  what  matter  is  ;  yet  mind  and  spirit  were 
reduced  to  matter,  and  consciousness,  thought, 
ethics,  religion,  were  viewed  as  the  product  of 
mechanical  forces.  The  brutalizing  effect  of  this 
tendency  is  too  patent  to  require  elaboration. 

For  two  decades  theoretical  materialism  has 
been  waning.  So  monstrous  had  its  abuses  be- 
come that  scientists  and  philosophers  united  in  its 
opposition.  It  is  still  advocated  by  a  few  scien- 
tists ;  but  it  is  generally  admitted  by  thinkers  that 
it  is  a  mere  hypothesis,  that  it  does  not  explain  the 
phenomena  of  the  universe,  and  therefore  must 
be  false.  Consciousness,  ideas,  the  notion  of  free- 
dom, ethics,  and  religion,  are  wholly  beyond  the 
reach  of  materialistic  interpretation.  Atoms  are 
postulated  ;  but  how  to  conceive  them  as  in  space 
and  yet  indivisible,  and  how  to  unite  them  and  get 
them  to  evolve  the  universe,  has  never  even  been 
imagined.  Nor  has  it  ever  been  conceived  how 
the  mind  can  discern  between  truth  and  error, 
good  and  evil,  and  can  work  according  to  design, 


52  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

if  there  is  only  mechanical  force  in  the  universe,  a 
force  whose  results  are  an  absolute  necessity. 
Error,  evil,  design,  as  the  product  of  necessity,  are 
inconceivable ;  the  contradiction  is  palpable. 
Theoretical  materialism  aimed  to  banish  spirit 
from  the  imiverse  :  but  now  it  has  itself  become  a 
ghost,  still  haunting  dark  minds  and  hovering- 
about  among  the  masses. 

The  dregs  of  theoretical  materialism  remain  in 
the  shape  of  practical  materialism.  Theoretical 
materialists  have  protested  against  the  charge  that 
their  theory  involves  practical  grossness  and  cor- 
ruption. Theoretical  materialism  has  been  pro- 
claimed as  ethical,  social,  as  cherishing  ideals,  and 
intent  on  the  welfare  of  humanity.  Although 
these  fruits  have  neither  been  very  evident  nor 
abundant,  yet  it  must  be  admitted  that  materi- 
alists, like  D.  F.  Strauss  and  Feuerbach,  did  not 
lead  lives  of  grossness.  But  the  effect  of  theo- 
retical materialism  can  hardly  be  judged  from 
materialists  who  received  a  Christian  training, 
who  formed  their  character  under  Christian  influ- 
ence, and  were  constantly  subject  to  Christian 
surroundings.  In  a  nation  of  theoretical  materi- 
alists we  cannot  see  how  higher  motives  than  Epi- 
curean selfishness  and  social  expediency  could 
control  men.  It  is  not  likely  that  the  stream 
would  rise  higher  than  its  source. 

Practical  materialism  now  has  the  field.  This 
does  not  always  mean  that  the  spiritual  is  rejected, 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  53 

or  that  matter  is  supposed  to  be  able  to  account 
for  everything.  Matter  is  treated  as  the  great 
certainty,  if  not  the  sole  reality,  while  spiritual  ob- 
jects are  regarded  as  not  so  evident ;  and  men  are 
intent  on  seizing  what  is  certain  and  within  reach. 
''This  sidedness,"  ''this  worldliness"  is  the  force 
which  masters,  domineers,  overwhelms  men.  If 
men  can  only  secure  success  in  this  life,  they  will 
gladly  "jump  the  life  to  come."  Socialistic  and 
materialistic  masses  denounce  religion  as  an  effort 
to  cheat  them  out  of  the  pleasures  of  this  world 
with  the  hope  of  heaven. 

This  dominant  tendency  has  assumed  various 
names.  In  distinction  from  the  former  roman- 
ticism it  is  actualism  ;  in  distinction  from  idealism 
it  is  realism  ;  in  distinction  from  spiritualism  it  is 
materialism  ;  and  in  distinction  from  supernat- 
uralism  it  is  naturalism.  In  each  case  the  imme- 
diate and  sensible  environment  is  made  the  centre 
of  the  thoughts  and  feelings  and  pursuits. 

The  prominence  given  to  nature  is  partly  the 
cause  and  partly  the  effect  of  this  tendency.  Na- 
ture is  regarded  as  the  sure  and  substantial  reality 
to  which  all  objects  worthy  of  inquiry  must  be 
reduced.  But  it  is  evident  that  the  tendency  to 
reality  could  not  end  with  dumb  matter  or  with 
brutes.  Man  is  nearest  himself,  and  his  interests 
are  naturally  centered  around  objects  which  some- 
how concern  himself.  Thus  the  very  processes  in 
natural  science  led  up  to  man.      Biology,  physiol- 


54  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

ogy,  psycho-physics,  became  the  centres  of  scien- 
tific inquiry.  Even  where  materialism  was  not 
openly  advocated,  it  was  tacitly  understood  that 
science  deals  only  with  matter  and  its  forces. 
Thus  unconsciously,  and  perhaps  unintentionally, 
materialistic  premises  were  smuggled  into  the 
study  of  man.  It  is  not  surprising  that  the  absorb- 
ing contemplation  of  matter  cultivated  a  habit 
which  unfitted  investigators  for  the  appreciation  of 
other  than  material  forces.  Even  where  postu- 
lates and  reservations  are  made  with  respect  to 
the  mental  and  the  spiritual,  the  whole  force  of 
the  mind  cultivated  only  by  the  material  tends  to 
the  recognition  of  the  material  universe  as  the 
only  substantial  reality,  and  of  mechanical  forces 
as  the  only  actuality. 

Thus  in  the  study  of  humanity  man  was  treated 
as  a  purely  natural  product ;  he  was  sunk  into  the 
brute,  and  then  the  brute  was  made  the  interpreter 
of  man.  The  most  effective  way  of  brutalizing 
man  is  to  persuade  him  that  he  is  nothing  but  a 
brute.  Of  course  ethics  and  religion  must  then  be 
explained  as  but  the  necessary  working  of  the 
forces  of  nature,  and  as  an  evolution  of  the  in- 
stincts and  powers  of  brutes  :  and  both  ethics  and 
religion  lose  their  significance  when  thus  ex- 
plained, just  as  legerdemain  loses  attraction  when 
its  tricks  are  exposed.  Conscience  becomes  a 
tyrant,  responsibility  a  myth,  and  the  most  diabol- 
ical crime  as  natural  and  innocent  as  the  devouring 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE,  55 

of  a  lamb  by  a  hungry  wolf.  Instead  of  punish- 
ment, the  innocent  criminal  requires  medicine, 
and  instead  of  prisons,  we  need  only  hospitals  and 
lunatic  asylums.  And  in  deeds  the  most  horrible, 
as  well  as  in  books,  the  worst  consequences  of 
practical  materialism  have  been  drawn. 

Nature  itself  sets  limits  to  debauchery  and  vio- 
lence, even  where  social  restraints  and  penal  codes 
do  not  curb  the  demoniac  element  in  man.  But 
aside  from  its  directly  bestial  and  criminal  influ- 
ence, practical  materialism  proves  its  dominance 
in  other  respects.  Indeed,  the  leaven  of  practical 
materialism  as  the  essence  of  realism  has  every- 
where became  painfully  evident.  Thus  in  all 
human  affairs  material  interests  have  attained  an 
absorbing  influence.  This  has  indeed  in  a  meas- 
ure been  true  of  all  ages  ;  but  never  before  have 
the  means  for  cultivating  these  interests  by  ma- 
chinery, by  industries  and  commerce,  been  so 
great,  and  never  have  these  interests  been  so 
prominent ;  besides,  the  ideal  tendencies  are  not 
as  strong  relatively  as  in  former  times.  Industries 
and  commerce  meet  real  needs ;  hence  they  are 
esteemed  as  the  real  concerns  of  man.  Science 
and  art  and  discoveries  have  been  made  to  minister 
to  the  greed  for  material  gain,  and  even  learning 
has  come  to  be  regarded  largely  from  a  monetary 
point  of  view.  The  discovery  of  gold  in  California 
and  of  oil  in  Pennsylvania,  the  applications  of 
steam  and  electricity,  the   improvements   in   ma- 


56  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

chinery,  and  the  vast  development  of  mineral  and 
agricultural  resources,  all  have  ministered  to  the 
cultivation  of  material  interests.  The  poetry,  the 
science,  and  the  humane  considerations  in  the  dis- 
covery of  new  territory,  are  lost  in  the  estimate  of 
the  commercial  advantages.  Scarcely  is  the  Dark 
Continent  explored,  when  nations  begin  to  quarrel 
over  the  possession  of  the  land  for  the  purpose  of 
finding  a  market  for  their  goods.  Even  the  most 
Christian  nations  do  not  hesitate  to  force  the 
opium  and  the  rum  traffic  on  savage  and  heathen 
tribes,  though  fearful  devastation  is  the  inevitable 
result.  The  accursed  slave  trade  is  viewed  chiefly 
in  the  light  of  pecuniary  loss  and  gain.  In  Amer- 
ica, in  England,  and  on  the  Continent,  the  passion 
for  money  is  the  flood  which  resistlessly  sweeps 
along  the  peoples  and  overwhelms  all  other  inter- 
ests. vSocialism,  with  its  worship  of  earth  and  its 
emphasis  on  the  gratification  of  the  appetite,  is 
but  the  culmination  of  the  dominant  realism  of  the 
day. 

Intimately  connected  with  this  form  of  realism 
is  the  hankering  after  pleasure,  a  marked  and 
growing  feature  of  the  times.  It  must  be  gross 
and  materialistic,  in  order  to  have  the  solid  basis 
of  reality  for  the  ordinary  mind.  An  inquiry  into 
the  proportion  of  individuals  who  know  no  higher 
aim  for  life  than  enjoyment,  leads  to  startling 
results.  Vast  majorities  reveal  scarcely  a  trace  of 
an  earnest  ethical  purpose,  and  of  genuine  spirit- 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  57 

uality,  and  we  wonder  whether  they  are  capable  of 
high  aspiration,  of  noble  sacrifice,  of  devotion  to 
truth,  or  of  consecration  to  anything  but  selfish 
interest.  In  our  great  cities  the  most  numerous 
and  most  successful  palaces  are  the  haunts  of 
pleasure,  and  they  are  usually  haunts  of  vice. 
The  road  to  the  passions  is  the  way  to  the  purses 
of  men.  The  opera,  the  theatre,  the  concert,  read- 
ing, company — all  for  pleasure.  Fashionable  soci- 
ety, with  its  inanity,  its  barbaric  displays,  its 
sensuous  interests,  its  gluttonous  feasts,  its  resort 
to  balls  and  cards  for  entertainment,  its  miserable 
vanities — what  is  it  but  refined  grossness,  glossed 
voluptuousness,  and  aristocratic  heathenism  ?  The 
police  and  the  reporters  know  that  even  in  intel- 
lectual and  the  most  wealthy  circles,  the  most 
devout  worshipers  of  Venus  and  Bacchus  abound. 
Sport  sits  on  the  neck  of  the  culture  of  the  age, 
and  is  a  demon  driving  its  victims  to  destruction 
by  the  thousand.  Those  who  worship  wealth  do  it 
largely  for  the  sake  of  getting  means  of  sport  and 
carnal  gratification.  A  palace  and  millions  of 
money,  and  outwardly  brilliant  society,  do  not 
save  a  man  from  "living  in  filth,"  as  the  Germans 
express  it ;  they  may  be  the  very  means  of  drag- 
ging him  down  to  hell.  Indeed,  the  common  greed 
for  pleasure  is  seriously  affecting  our  language. 
Entertainment  has  so  become  the  supreme  aim  of 
life,  that  even  our  worship  must  be  entertaining  to 
be  acceptable.     We  estimate  a  divine  service  by 


58  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH, 

the  pleasure  it  gives  ;  we  enjoy  the  sermon,  the 
hymns,  the  prayer.  Not  the  benefit,  not  the  duty, 
not  the  communion  with  God,  not  the  culture  of 
faith  and  hope,  but  enjoyment  is  the  test.  In  the 
church,  in  society,  in  excursions,  in  literature,  in 
art,  the  dominant  question  is  the  same  as  at  the 
ball  and  in  the  theatre  :  Did  you  enjoy  yourself  ? 
In  consistency  we  ought  also  to  change  our  forms 
of  salutation  into  greetings  of  pleasure.  It  is  in 
the  realism  of  gratification  that  we  most  of  all 
approach  heathenish  bestiality,  or  actually  sink 
below  it. 

Modern  life  has  likewise  become  absorbed  by 
politics  as  never  before.  The  legislation,  formerly 
in  the  hands  of  a  few,  has  now  become  the  business 
of  the  people.  The  very  freedom  gained  by  na- 
tions has  attracted  to  politics  the  best  powers  for- 
merly devoted  to  scholarship,  to  theology,  to  the 
professions,  and  to  art.  From  ideal  pursuits  men 
have  been  drawn  to  consider  matters  of  immediate 
practical  interest.  This  is  especially  striking  on 
the  continent  of  Europe,  where  formerly  the  think- 
ers had  no  sphere  of  activity  but  scholarship,  be- 
ing excluded  from  politics ;  but  now  they  are 
drawn  from  learned  pursuits  into  the  prejudices 
and  disputes  of  parties.  In  Germany,  where  until 
lately  scholarship  and  ideal  pursuits  were  the  only 
avenues  to  fame,  some  of  the  most  eminent  pro- 
fessors, as  Mommsen,  Treitschke  and  Virchow, 
have  been  drawn  into  the  arena  of  politics.     The 


CHA  RA  C  TERIS  TICS  OF  THE  A  GE.  59 

affairs  of  state  have  a  human  reality,  an  actuality, 
which  is  not  so  apparent  in  purely  learned  pur- 
suits. The  national  life  is  constantly  agitated  by 
political  affairs,  and  thus  attention  is  taken  from 
other  considerations.  The  leading  political  ques- 
tions deal  with  material  affairs,  such  as  national 
finances,  duties,  trade  and  commerce,  taxes,  and 
the  general  secular  welfare  of  the  people.  Expe- 
diency rules  so  exclusively  that,  even  if  a  politician 
acts  from  principle,  it  is  hard  to  believe  such  an 
exception  possible.  Partisanship  reigns,  and  par- 
tisanship usually  means  some  particular  method 
to  secure  secular  interests  and  selfish  ends.  There 
are  nobler  aims,  but  the  whole  world  knows  that 
they  are  not  dominant. 

When  now  we  turn  to  the  daily  press,  we  find  it 
a  correct  exponent  of  the  interests  of  the  day,  and 
the  mightiest  promoter  of  the  same.  It  is  studi- 
ously careful  to  give  the  people  what  they  want; 
what  they  need  is  a  different  matter.  Often  papers 
exist  for  the  advertisements  ;  the  reading  matter 
being  as  thoroughly  materialistic  as  the  advertise- 
ments themselves.  Politics,  business,  commerce, 
industries,  finances,  and  social  gossip,  are  the 
standing  themes,  and  these  are  the  subjects  in 
which  the  nations  are  daily  educated,  as  if  ordi- 
nary life  were  not  already  sufficiently  burdened 
with  them.  The  greed  for  entertainment  is  of 
course  sedulously  cultivated ;  hence  the  sensa- 
tional element,   truth   being    no  necessary  ingre- 


60  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

dient.  Some  journals  are  especially  strong  in  the 
attractions  and  details  of  all  that  is  abominable. 
Papers  so  outrageous  that  ancient  heathen  nations 
would  have  felt  disgraced  by  them  are  taken  by 
Christian  families  ;  and  their  editors  and  reporters, 
the  vilest  corrupters  of  youth  and  the  creators  of 
the  criminals  that  fill  the  prisons,  are,  perhaps, 
members  of  churches  and  admitted  into  decent 
society  ! 

These  materialistic  tendencies,  often  gross  and 
deeply  corrupting,  have  a  power  so  absorbing  and 
universal  that  it  seems  almost  impossible  to  resist 
their  tyranny.  They  are  patent  to  all ;  but  men 
think  them  perfectly  natural  because  so  universal, 
and  because  they  are  themselves  controlled  by 
them.  What  men  themselves  are  is  not  apt  to 
astonish  them  when  they  find  it  in  others.  So 
completely  is  the  age  domineered  by  material  in- 
terests and  pleasures  that  many  people  know  of 
nothing  else ;  and  they  have  no  conception  of  the 
practical  materialism  of  the  day,  for  the  reason 
that  they  have  lost  all  ideal  standards  with  which 
to  compare  that  materialism.  It  is  not  alone  in  the 
hamlets  of  continental  Europe  that  people  live  for 
the  amount  of  manure  they  can  collect. 

Gross  materialism  and  gross  naturalism  are  the 
burden  under  which  the  age  groans,  crushing  its 
spirit,  oppressing  its  life,  and  burying  its  ideals. 
Reason  must  be  tethered  to  matter.  Even  religion 
must  be  natural,  not  supernatural ;    and  unless  it 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  61 

can  somehow  be  rubbed  out  of  the  atoms,  it  ought 
to  be  wiped  out  of  the  human  heart.  Not  only- 
must  philosophy  be  made  certain,  which  is  a  rea- 
sonable demand,  but  it  must  also  be  made  subject 
to  the  same  method  and  tests  as  material  objects  ; 
and  then  its  sole  value  is  made  to  consist  in  deal- 
ing with  material  problems  and  mechanical  forces, 
and  not  with  the  great  themes  which  have  always 
been  its  essence  and  which  constitute  its  dignity. 
The  same  is  true  of  literature  in  general.  From 
all  lands  the  report  comes  that  the  ideals  have 
vanished.  Realism  reigns,  and  realism  often 
means  naturalism.  It  is  almost  omnipotent  in 
France,  has  largely  expelled  idealism  and  roman- 
ticism from  Germany,  and  is  in  the  main  the  sub- 
stance of  the  literature  of  other  lands.  Men  must 
now  go  to  the  history  of  philosophy  and  of  liter- 
ature for  the  ideals  which  the  present  has  lost. 
Even  poetry  is  said  to  have  had  its  day,  being  too 
idealistic  for  the  present  realism.  Real  life  and 
materialistic  concerns  are  the  themes  of  novels, 
and  vanities  have  taken  the  place  of  great  thoughts 
in  dramas.  So  far  has  this  naturalism  gone  that 
it  emphasizes  the  basest  forms  of  reality,  describ- 
ing them  with  painful  minuteness.  Much  of  the 
literature  of  the  day  belongs  to  the  aesthetics  of 
filth.  Crime  and  lust  and  pollution  are  favorite 
themes  ;  they  afford  the  best  elements  of  sensa- 
tionalism. Perhaps  their  excess  in  literature  will 
produce  satiety — that  seems  now  in  some  regions 


63  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

the  only  hope.  The  craving  for  excitement  is  a 
craze  of  the  age  ;  the  literature  that  feeds  also 
develops  it ;  but  there  are  limits  it  cannot  trans- 
cend, and  when  they  are  reached  the  reaction 
must  come.  Now  a  tendency  to  naturalism  is  pro- 
moted, especially  in  France,  which  limits  thought 
severely  to  the  present  actuality.  Human  possi- 
bilities are  as  little  considered,  as  human  respon- 
sibility. Crime  ends  with  crime,  despair  in  despair; 
hope,  belonging  to  the  future,  is  not  a  present  real- 
ity, and  is  therefore  ignored.  It  is  not  remembered 
that  seeds  from  which  future  growths  may  spring 
are  real,  and  that  a  real  night  may  also  have  real 
stars  of  hope.  The  writers  do  not  consider,  or  do 
not  care,  that  familiarity  with  the  corruptions 
described  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  means  of 
promoting  these  corruptions.  Their  novels  are 
text  books  in  the  school  of  vice.  All  seems  valid 
if  only  natural,  whether  it  be  in  the  novel  or  the 
drama.  The  natural  school  is  said  to  have  become 
so  naturalistic  as  actually  to  be  unnatural.  Even 
the  most  enlightened  nations  look  admiringly  to 
Tolstoi  and  Ibsen  as  apostles  of  modern  realism. 
The  discoverer  of  a  new  and  exciting  reality  in 
life  is  more  popular  than  the  scientific  discoverer. 
The  same  tendencies  are  seen  in  art,  called  Fine 
or  Beautiful,  but  really  Representative  or  Contem- 
plative. It  has  been  noted  as  a  characteristic  of 
modern  art  that  religious  subjects  are  rare.  The 
well   known   court-preacher  of   Stuttgart,    Gerok, 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  63 

felt   it   his   duty   to   protest   against   the   modern 
theory,  that  religion  furnishes  no  suitable  themes 
for  poetry   and   art.      Even   classic   and  historic 
scenes  have  yielded  their  place  to  modern  realism. 
Natural  scenery,  cats,  dogs,  horses,  cows,  archi- 
tecture, portraits,  social  gatherings,  family  scenes, 
love  affairs,  battles,  industrial  pursuits,  and  other, 
often  very  trivial  subjects  of  practical  and  mate- 
rial interest,  are  the  rule.      While  former  artists 
chose  grand  subjects,  exalted  themes,  and  noble 
ideals,  living  artists  choose  reality  ;  former  artists, 
it  has  been  said,  chose  beauty  as  their  subject ; 
modern  artists  aim  to  paint  beautifully,  if  beauty 
can  at  all  be  attributed  to  their  work.      Where 
formerly  beauty  had  an  aesthetic  interest,  now  it 
often   seems   but    the   minister  to   base   passion. 
From  sesthetic  idealism   art  has   descended  to  a 
copy  of  reality.       Claude  Lorraine  is  depreciated 
because  his  pictures  have  too  much  ideal  beauty. 
Nature  must  be  severely  copied,  originality,  ideal- 
ity, and  genius  in  conception  must  be  banished  as 
unreal.     An  art  critic  has  said  that  formerly  art 
exalted  earthly  things  into  heaven,  but  that  now 
all  that  is  heavenly  is  dragged  to  earth.     Whether 
the  reality  be  beautiful  or  ugly  is  of  little  concern, 
the  main  thing  is  reality.     As  an  artist  who  had 
studied  under  Thorwaldsen  said,  "  Modern  artists 
paint   a  cowstable   with   all    its   filth,   instead   of 
selecting    what    is   agreeable   and  beautiful,   the 
proper  domain  of  art." 


64  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Music  is  the  most  popular  art.  Of  all  the  arts  it 
affects  the  feelings  most  deeply,  and  seems  to  have 
the  most  realistic  human  interest.  Wagner  is  the 
most  popular  composer ;  his  tones  vibrate  with 
passion,  just  what  men  living  in  and  for  excite- 
ment want.  Largely  the  music  of  the  day  culti- 
vates and  gratifies  the  taste  for  pleasure,  without 
exalting  the  spirit  to  great  ideas  which  expel  self- 
ish interests. 

When  therefore  we  consider  the  literature  and 
art  of  the  day,  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the 
character  of  the  realism  of  the  age.  This  world 
and  its  affairs,  matter  and  its  products,  human  life 
and  its  earthly  interests,  are  the  supreme  consid- 
erations of  the  present.  Respecting  all  that  trans- 
cends the  earth  and  our  immediate  temporal 
concerns  there  is  much  suspicion  and  doubt ;  it  is 
treated  with  indifference  or  consigned  to  agnos- 
ticism. Even  where  men  of  the  world  profess  to 
believe  in  another  life,  that  does  not  loosen  their 
grip  on  materialistic  realism.  With  its  modern 
improvements,  its  increased  advantages,  and  its 
practical  inventions,  this  world  has  become  much 
more  to  men  than  heretofore,  while  the  transcen- 
dental world  with  its  spiritual  objects  has  receded 
to  a  distance  too  dim  to  lend  enchantment  to  the 
view.  When  we  thus  characterize  the  age  as  sec- 
ular and  naturalistic,  it  must  be  remembered  that 
we  are  considering  the  age  outside  of  the  church. 

As  we  now  pass  to  the  intellectual  characteristics 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  65 

of  the  times,  we  find  a  marked  predominance  of 
such  studies  as  deal  with  natural  and  secular  real- 
ism. Natural  science,  with  its  various  departments 
and  numerous  practical  applications,  comes  first. 
It  is  supposed  to  lead  to  the  most  substantial,  if 
not  the  only  reality,  and  to  the  ground  and  source 
of  all  utility.  Although  biology,  physiology,  an- 
thropology, and  medicine  cannot  be  made  as  math- 
ematically exact  as  physics  and  chemistry,  still 
they  are  included  in  the  circle  of  the  natural 
sciences  ;  and  it  is  well  known  that  efforts  have 
been  made  to  draw  into  the  same  circle  psychol- 
ogy, philology,  sociology,  and  in  fact  all  the  studies 
that  deal  with  reality.  The  advance  of  technical 
education,  and  the  increase  of  technical  schools 
and  literature,  are  among  the  signs  of  the  times. 
Indeed,  it  has  become  common  to  regard  science 
as  but  the  means  for  furthering  practical  concerns, 
and  all  scientific  discoveries  are  imraediately  util- 
ized for  the  arts  and  life. 

Besides  natural  science,  history  receives  especial 
attention.  New  principles  of  investigation  have 
been  established,  historiography  has  been  better 
formulated  as  a  system,  the  great  archives  of 
Europe  have  been  opened  and  carefully  studied, 
men  like  Ranke  being  leaders  in  the  research,  and 
many  historic  errors  have  been  exposed,  and  dark 
periods  illuminated.  Ancient  inscriptions  have 
been  deciphered  and  buried  cities  excavated,  so 
that  monuments  and  ruins  have  contributed  their 
5 


66  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

revelations  to  those  made  by  the  archives.  Thus 
the  study  of  past  actuality  is  added  to  that  of  the 
present  reality.  Great  interest  is  manifested  in 
biography  with  its  personal  realism.  In  the 
numerous  histories  of  nations,  persons,  events, 
and  intellectual  pursuits,  the  present  seems  desir- 
ous of  making  itself  the  possessor  of  all  past  real- 
ities and  actualities.  Some  subjects,  in  fact,  seem 
to  live  only  in  their  history. 

Great  efforts  are  also  made  for  the  development 
of  secular  and  directly  practical  affairs.  Earthly 
human  interest  and  human  environment  are 
supreme.  There  seems  to  be  no  end  to  books  on 
industrial,  agricultural,  commercial,  and  financial 
pursuits.  Much  prominence  is  given  to  geograph- 
ical study,  and  it  is  brought  into  intimate  relation 
with  these  pursuits.  A  remarkable  impetus  has 
been  given  to  political  studies,  to  economic  science, 
and  to  sociology. 

While  thus  the  age  is  intent  on  obtaining  objec- 
tive realism,  we  learn  from  these  dominant  tend- 
encies and  thoughts  what  the  nature  of  reality  is 
supposed  to  be.  The  intellect  of  the  age  gravitates 
earthward  and  is  concentrated  on  the  earthly  inter- 
ests of  man.  Philosophy,  so  far  as  it  is  ontology 
and  pure  speculation,  receives  little  attention  from 
scholars.  The  theory  of  knowledge  has  received 
prominence,  because  it  leads  from  fictions  to  real 
knowledge.  Much  attention  has  been  given  to 
aesthetics,  which  deals  with  the  mind's  interest  in 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  67 

beauty ;  but  even  in  aesthetics,  thought  walks  on 
earth  instead  of  soaring  into  the  realm  of  Plato's 
ideas.  Just  now  the  preeminence  in  philosophy- 
seems  to  belong  to  ethics.  This  is  chiefly  owing 
to  the  momentous  human  interests  involved  in 
ethics,  and  to  the  prominence  given  to  moral  prob- 
lems by  socialism.  The  encroachment  of  materi- 
alism on  ethics  has  made  it  necessary  to  reexamine 
the  freedom  of  the  will  and  all  the  ethical  prin- 
ciples, and  to  reconstruct  the  whole  system  of 
morality.  The  very  existence  of  a  moral  basis 
and  the  possibility  of  truly  moral  conduct  have  to 
be  established.  Responsibility,  personality,  and 
all  that  pertains  to  the  highest  conceptions  of 
humanity,  must  now  be  defended  against  a  de- 
structive naturalism.  Characteristic  of  the  trend 
of  philosophic  thought  is  the  effort  to  prove  ra- 
tional psychology  impossible,  to  put  empirical 
psychology  at  the  basis  of  philosophy,  and  to  make 
psycho-physics,  to  which  great  prominence  is  now 
given,  the  basis  of  empirical  psychology. 

When  we  turn  from  the  subjects  which  engross 
the  attention  of  the  age  to  the  purely  intellectual 
character  of  the  thought  of  our  times,  we  cannot 
be  in  doubt  as  to  the  result  of  the  inquiry.  Intel- 
lect is  subjected  to  the  reality  that  rules.  That  it 
has  a  value  of  its  own,  that  its  pure  products  are 
a  significant  revelation  of  the  nature  of  the  mind, 
and  that  its  proper  exercise  is  supreme  joy,  seems 
a  myth.      Its  own  reality  is  lost  in  the  external 


68  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

reality  for  whose  sake  it  is  supposed  to  exist. 
Hence  purely  rational  exercises  are  at  a  discount. 
Ideas  in  which  the  mind  most  fully  expresses  itself, 
and  most  distinctly  beholds  itself,  are  pronounced 
fiction.  Ideas  are  general  and  abstract,  as  good- 
ness, beauty,  truth,  love  ;  ideals  are  concrete  forms 
of  ideas :  thus  the  idea  of  beauty  becomes  con- 
crete in  a  statue  of  Venus,  and  the  idea  of  power 
is  concreted  in  a  bust  of  Jove.  But  because  so 
purely  rational,  the  ideals  are  deemed  too  little 
real  for  the  present.  All  thought  that  rises  far 
above  the  grossly  real  and  the  sensibly  actual  is 
regarded  with  suspicion ;  and  those  who  cherish 
such  thought  are  called  visionaries,  or  cranks. 
Principles  contain  all  practice,  but  in  the  most 
condensed  form  and  as  an  intellectual  appre- 
hension ;  nothing  is  more  practical  than  principles, 
and  yet  they  are  disparaged,  because  the  practice 
does  not  lie  on  the  surface. 

It  is  not  surprising  therefore  that  great  intel- 
lectual systems  are  not  a  characteristic  of  the  age. 
We  have  specializations  rather  than  comprehensive 
systems ;  we  are  so  intent  on  analysis  that  we 
cannot  get  at  the  work  of  synthesis  ;  we  have  a 
philosophy  of  language,  of  law,  of  history,  of  pol- 
itics, but  no  philosophy  of  the  universe.  Formerly 
intellect  was  supposed  to  illuminate  nature  ;  now 
nature  is  the  light  of  intellect. 

There  is  much  complaint  on  the  part  of  careful 
students  of  the  times  respecting  the  lack  of  origi- 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  69 

nality.  Thought  is  not  independent  and  daring 
enough  to  be  creative.  It  has  been  so  completely 
buried  in  the  dominant  external  realism,  that  it 
cannot  free  itself  sufficiently  to  become  itself  and 
go  its  own  way.  The  mind  has  become  afraid  of 
itself  and  suspicious  of  its  own  powers,  unless 
under  the  safe  guidance  of  mechanical  forces  and 
transpiring  events.  What  the  senses  perceive, 
and  what  the  understanding  can  mathematically 
demonstrate,  is  deemed  the  limit  of  intellectual 
safety.  Hence  the  mind  is  an  observer  and  exper- 
imenter, and  must  limit  its  course  to  the  guidance 
and  control  of  its  observations  and  experiments. 
With  this  is  connected  research  into  facts  and  an 
exact  record  of  the  same.  Thus  there  is  often  an 
astounding  accumulation  of  materials  of  knowl- 
edge, where  there  is  little  real  knowledge,  the 
mind  being  so  overwhelmed  by  its  accumulations 
as  not  to  be  able  to  come  to  itself  sufficiently  to 
master  its  possessions.  The  exclusive  absorption 
by  things  and  facts  cultivates  the  mind  in  and  for 
these  only,  and  seems  to  unfit  it,  by  lack  of  time 
and  exercise,  for  the  great  problems  belonging 
peculiarly  to  reason.  Besides  the  naturalism  and 
actualism  in  which  the  age  so  generally  loses  itself, 
we  find  that  intellect  is  also  intent  on  learning 
what  others  have  thought  and  done.  There  is 
research  rather  than  creation,  even  where  we  have 
a  right  to  expect  creation.  Investigation  and 
learning    prevail    over    the    thinking.       Ours    is 


70  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

an  age  of  scholiasts,  annotators,  commentators. 
There  is  a  marvelous  intellectual  activity  ;  but  it 
inquires,  rehearses  and  interprets,  more  than  it 
originates  ;  it  is  bound  rather  than  free  intellect ; 
it  copies  and  retouches  what  others  have  produced  ! 
Ours  is  the  day  for  critics,  translators,  transposers 
and  historians.  A  German  writer  quotes  an 
Englishman,  who  had  the  politeness  to  call  Ger- 
many a  nation  of  thinkers.  The  German  says, 
**  Heavens,  how  that  man  is  mistaken  !  "  And  he 
says,  not  thinking,  but  rather  a  dread  of  thought 
characterizes  the  nation.  Even  among  students 
vigorous  thought  is  rare.  The  universities  have 
become  pumping  stations,  as  much  is  pumped  into 
each  mind  as  it  will  hold.  These  facts  have  be- 
come commonplaces  in  ^'the  land  of  thought." 
The  climax  of  genius  now  seems  attained  if  a  Ger- 
man writer  can  determine  exactly  what  Goethe 
said,  what  he  meant  when  he  said  it,  where  he  said 
it,  and  what  the  particular  circumstances  during 
the  saying.  An  item  of  great  literary  moment 
would  be  attached  to  a  poem  of  the  eminent  man, 
if  it  could  be  scientifically  established  just  when 
he  took  snuff  and  sneezed  while  writing  it.  No 
wonder  that  a  recent  rector  of  the  university  of 
Berlin  exposed  this  servile  spirit  by  making 
*'  Goethe  and  no  End "  the  subject  of  his  inau- 
gural address.  For  lack  of  originality  writers 
make  Shakespeare,  Emerson,  Victor  Hugo,  Schil- 
ler, Goethe,  and  many  others  turn  their  thoughts 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  71 

over  and  over,  to  see  whether  they  cannot  be  in- 
duced to  say  what  they  do  not  say.  It  is  therefore 
not  surprising  that  with  all  the  excited,  frenzied 
activity  of  the  age  there  is  so  little  individuality 
and  peculiarity.  Not  only  do  the  same  things  out- 
side of  the  mind  control  all  and  tend  to  make 
them  alike  ;  but  men  become  imitators,  in  order  to 
make  sure  of  what  has  been  real  and  actual  to 
others  ;  they  think  in  schools,  en  masse,  by  means 
of  their  environment,  by  proxy,  and  in  epidemics. 
The  theory  of  the  adaptation  of  organisms  to 
their  environment  has  been  made  to  serve  materi- 
alism. Not  only  has  theory  been  applied  to  plants, 
to  animals,  and  to  man  in  his  lower  forms  of  evo- 
lution, but  also  to  human  history  and  to  humanity 
in  all  stages  of  development.  So  completely  was 
man  made  subject  to  his  environment,  that  the 
innate  power  of  his  mind  was  ignored.  While  it 
was  emphasized  that  he  could  be  molded  by  cir- 
cumstances and  transformed  into  the  likeness  of 
his  surroundings,  it  seemed  like  defying  science  to 
claim  that  he  can  start  processes  himself,  that  he 
can  change  his  environment  and  adapt  it  to  him- 
self, and  that  he  can  grow  up  amid  earthly  things 
and  yet  become  their  master.  He  was  treated  as 
forever  a  child,  the  earth  about  him,  the  body 
which  domineered  his  mind,  and  the  tutelage  to 
which  he  was  thus  subjected  robbed  him  of  the 
confidence  and  courage  to  give  free  play  to  his 
mental  powers.     Mind   that   dared   to  free   itself 


72  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

from  the  dominion  of  matter  was  thought  to  drift 
without  rudder  and  pilot  on  a  boundless  and  fath- 
omless sea.  Those  who  know  how  mind  has  been 
limited  by  the  environment  to  which  it  was  teth- 
ered will  understand  the  character  of  the  domi- 
nant thought  and  its  lack  of  creative  energy.  If 
the  environment  is  lord,  mental  originality  is  a 
violation  of  the  mind's  duty  as  a  servant.  It  must 
wait  for  the  command  and  yield  implicit  obedi- 
ence. And  the  race  which  thus  degrades  the  mind 
has  not  yet  vanished  from  earth. 

Thus  far  it  has  been  the  aim  to  find  the  domi- 
nant factor.  The  tendencies  have  been  given  in  a 
condensed  form,  often  scarcely  more  than  hints 
being  possible.  The  main  features  in  the  charac- 
teristic movements  of  the  age  have  been  stated  ; 
they  are  the  summits  from  which  the  details  in 
the  movements  can  be  studied.  But  in  presenting 
this  interpretation  of  the  essence  of  the  thought, 
the  feeling,  the  interests,  and  the  pursuits  of  the 
times,  we  have  not  by  any  means  exhausted  the 
age.  There  are  also  movements  of  a  different 
character,  which  have  come  down  from  the  past, 
are  innate  tendencies  of  the  human  mind,  are  due 
to  the  influence  of  the  church,  or  else  are  reactions 
against  the  exclusively  earthly  realism.  In  pro- 
portion as  the  spirit  of  man  is  developed  will  it 
rebel  against  limiting  its  capacities  and  interests 
to  naturalism.  The  innate  tendency  of  the  spirit 
to  seek  its  own  similitude  impels  it  beyond  a  mate- 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  73 

rialistic  to  a  spiritual  realism.  A  long  list  of  phi- 
losophers, of  whom  Plato,  Berkeley,  Fichte,  Hegel 
and  Lotze  are  only  the  principal  ones,  have  advo- 
cated idealism  as  the  true  reality,  natural  objects 
being  but  its  symbols  and  mirrors.  Even  to  those 
who  are  absorbed  by  naturalism  thoughts  will 
come  which  cannot  rest  in  materialism.  Were 
man  but  the  product  of  matter,  how  could  he  ever 
seek  to  rise  above  nature  ?  Like  produces  like ; 
how  then  can  the  natural  produce  spiritual  long- 
ings and  tendencies  ?  It  is  no  explanation  to  de- 
clare these  tendencies  fallacies.  Either  matter 
must  have  spiritual  qualities,  or  it  cannot  be  the 
source  of  what  is  spiritual  in  man.  Whence  intel- 
lect, whence  self-consciousness,  whence  conscience 
and  the  notion  of  responsibility,  whence  all  the 
aspirations  of  the  human  mind?  Not  only  is  it 
impossible  to  answer  these  questions  on  the  suppo- 
sition that  all  being  is  material,  but  it  would  be 
impossible  to  ask  them  if  in  the  universe  matter 
were  the  only  propounder  of  questions. 

Pessimism  is  the  shadow  of  theoretical  and  prac- 
tical materialism.  The  human  mind  finds  intol- 
erable the  thought  that  all  its  dearest  interests 
and  noblest  aspirations  are  but  deceptions  and 
doomed  to  end  in  nihilism.  Among  scientists 
themselves,  particularly  in  the  United  States  and 
England,  are  found  some  of  the  strongest  oppo- 
nents of  materialism.  Unfortunately,  what  is 
material  has  so  generally  been  regarded  as   the 


74  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH, 

sole  positive  element,  that  the  spiritual  has  seemed 
only  as  its  negation,  not  as  itself  a  positive  entity. 
This  has  made  the  conception  of  the  spirit  pecul- 
iarly difficult.  But  vagne  as  the  conception  of  the 
spirit  and  the  spiritual  has  been,  positivism  with 
its  cultus  of  humanity,  agnosticism  with  its  post- 
ulates of  the  realm  of  the  unknowable,  and  the 
numerous  efforts  to  find  some  substitute  for  re- 
ligion, prove  that  there  are  demands  of  the  inner 
man  which  are  not  material  and  which  matter 
cannot  satisfy.  The  proposed  substitutes  for  re- 
ligion are  evidence  of  the  reality  of  the  needs 
which  religion  meets.  The  experiment  of  athe- 
ism is  being  tried  in  various  countries  ;  but  athe- 
ism is  emptiness,  and  that  cannot  fill  the  soul. 
There  are  already  decided  reactions  against  it, 
and  in  southern  Europe  it  is  not  unusual  for  the 
atheist  to  pass  to  the  other  extreme  of  Catholicism. 
Even  in  lands  where  materialism  was  most  pow- 
erful there  has  been  a  tendency  to  pass  from 
nature  to  man,  and  from  the  body  to  the  spirit. 
And  in  proportion  as  man  himself  has  become  the 
absorbing  theme,  the  intellectual,  the  moral,  and 
the  religious  elements  have  been  pushed  more  and 
more  into  the  foreground.  The  essentially  and 
peculiarly  human  factors  are  determined  to  mani- 
fest themselves.  It  looks,  however,  as  if  the  vari- 
ous possibilities  of  materialism,  pessimism,  and 
atheism  would  have  to  be  tried  thoroughly,  in 
order   to   learn   their  power  to   meet  the  inmost 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE. 


75 


cravings  of  man.  Numbers  are  already  testifying; 
that  they  are  destructive  of  hope,  of  inspiration, 
of  energy,  and  of  progress ;  that  therefore  they 
are  intolerable.  The  mind  cannot  rest  in  a  natu- 
ral realism  which  ignores  the  most  essential  fac- 
tors of  human  realism.  The  questions  involved 
are  those  of  humanity  ;  and  we  may  be  sure  that 
their  answer  has  significance  for  all  history,  as 
well  as  for  our  generation. 

The  present  status  of  thought  evidently  makes 
it  necessary  to  begin  at  the  very  bottom,  in  order 
to  reconstruct  ethical  and  spiritual  systems.     The 
reality  which  is  accepted  as  established,  or  which 
can   be  demonstrated  as  genuine,  must  be  made 
the  basis   for   the    search    of   all   other    existing 
reality.     If  now  we  postulate  a  reality,  as  spirit- 
uality, for  instance,  and  construct  a  system  of  it, 
then  the  whole  will  have  only  the  value  of  the 
postulate.     We  must  find  the  real  about  which  we 
want  to  philosophize  ;  and  this  can  be  done  only 
by  proceeding  from  one  reality  to   another.     All 
fictitious  constructions  of  reality  must  close.    This 
demand  for  substantial  reality  as  the  basis  of  all 
our  intellectual  processes  is  the  inexorable  require- 
ment of  the  science  of  the  day.     Men  insist  on 
reality,  and  they  insist  on  the  proof  of  the  vaHdity 
of  all  that  claims  to  be  real.     Those  who  fail  to  see 
how  deep  and  earnest  is  the  search  for  unquestion- 
able reality,  and  what  irrefragable  proof  of  reality 
is  now  required,  fail  to  understand  the  result  of  the 


76  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

philosophic  and  scientific  processes  of  the  age. 
The  radical,  thorough  work  now  required  in  all 
departments  of  thought  is  one  of  the  marks  of  our 
times.  The  greatest  possible  demands  are  made 
on  intellect ;  and  these  must  be  raet  by  him  who 
would  do  enduring  work.  The  effort  to  meet  them 
has  produced  an  intellectualism,  w^hich  seems  to 
base  all  hope  solely  on  the  intellectual  solution  of 
the  problems  of  the  universe,  thus  being  in  danger 
of  an  intellectuality  so  one-sided  as  to  ignore  feel- 
ing and  faith. 

As  the  critical  thought  of  the  age  has  attempted 
to  get  to  the  very  bottom  of  reality,  so  has  it  gone 
to  the  bottom  in  reconstructing  the  system  of  the 
universe.  Scholars  have  gone  to  the  basis  of  sci- 
ence for  their  foundation  of  ethics  and  religion. 
Thus  according  to  the  principles  of  science,  and 
by  means  of  raathematical  demonstrations,  it  has 
been  attempted  to  establish  the  existence  of  God 
and  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  If  there  are  only 
necessary  laws,  then,  it  has  been  argued,  religion, 
their  necessary  product,  must  be  true.  On  Dar- 
winian principles  it  has  been  contended,  that 
Christianity  is  the  product  of  the  highest  evolu- 
tion ;  and  that  if  this  product  of  evolution  is  false, 
then  the  evolution  which  produced  it  must  likewise 
be  false.  The  important  law  of  science,  that  things 
must  be  taken  as  they  are,  and  judged  by  what 
they  are,  not  by  preconceived  notions  or  unproved 
hypotheses,  has  been  used  against  naturalism.     It 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  77 

has  been  insisted  that  man  must  be  judged  by 
what  he  is  and  manifests,  with  all  his  wealth  of 
intellect  and  spirit,  and  not  by  any  theory  respect- 
ing matter  or  man's  relation  to  the  brute. 

The  effort  to  make  nature,  or  any  reality  exter- 
nal to  man,  the  test  of  all  things  meets  with  an 
insuperable  difficulty.  It  has  never  been  con- 
ceived, and  never  can  be,  how  it  is  possible  for  the 
mind  to  get  out  of  itself  into  something  external 
to  itself  and  make  that  its  standard  of  reality. 
The  mind  can  only  deal  with  what  is  within  it, 
namely,  its  own  perceptions  and  conceptions.  This 
is  one  of  the  best  established  results  of  critical 
thought,  and  its  validity  is  admitted  by  the  best 
scientists.  Thus  modern  intellect  has  reached  the 
conclusion  of  the  ancient  Greeks,  that  man  is  the 
measure  of  all  things,  though  we  do  not  mean  by 
it  the  same  as  the  old  Sophists.  Not  being  that  is 
independent  of  our  mind  and  unknown  to  us,  but 
being  as  apprehended  by  us  and  as  present  to  our 
consciousness  constitutes  our  world.  Things  are 
to  us  intellectually  as  we  think  them.  He  who 
wants  to  know  things  as  they  are,  but  not  as  they 
are  thought,  wants  to  think  the  universe  without 
thinking  it,  or  wants  to  conceive  the  universe  as  it 
is  not  conceivable. 

Man  as  the  measure  of  things  is  thus  the  chief  ob- 
ject of  study.  Even  things  he  can  study  only  in 
his  percepts  and  concepts  of  them.  Man  is  thus 
elevated  above   external  things,  and  in  his  appre- 


78  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

hension  of  the  universe  his  own  intellectual  appre- 
hension is  the  object  of  study.  Thus  the  dominance 
of  intellect  over  matter  is  assured  ;  we  know  matter 
itself  only  as  an  intellectual  concept.  And  the 
modern  distrust  of  intellect  is  modern  ignorance. 
The  sense  is  pitted  against  reason,  because  the 
senses  are  supposed  to  be  nearer  reality.  But  we 
can  only  understand  the  senses  with  the  reason 
and  with  the  exercise  of  all  our  intellectual  powers. 
Some  imagine  that  through  the  senses  they  get  a 
material  result ;  but  what  we  perceive  by  means 
of  the  senses  is  purely  mental ;  there  is  not  even  a 
ghost  of  matter  in  it. 

Thus  by  reflecting  on  itself,  on  its  processes,  on 
its  knowledge,  the  mind  has  attained  an  intel- 
lectuality which  raises  it  out  of  the  dominion  of 
naturalism  and  of  all  external  objects.  Therefore 
the  mind  is  supreme.  And  the  demands  of  the 
mind  are  the  supreme  demands.  How  monstrous 
then  to  suppose  that  the  mind,  the  measure  of  all 
things,  should  not  regard  its  own  requirements  as 
imperative  !  Whatever  its  conclusions  respecting 
external  objects  may  be,  the  mind's  demands  are 
the  supreme  concern  of  the  mind.  Here  is  the 
key  to  the  unrest,  the  pessimism  of  the  day,  to  the 
reactions  against  naturalism,  and  to  the  mighty 
efforts  to  rise  into  the  realm  of  ethics  and  religion. 
A  philosophy  of  personality  is  now  attempted,  the 
establishment  of  the  reign  of  personality  instead 
of  the  reign  of  mechanical  forces. 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  79 

The  mind,  overwhelmed  by  a  sudden  acc-umtila- 
tion  of  material  forces  and  material  interests, 
required  time  to  come  to  itself.  This  process  of 
self-consciousness  is  now  at  work,  and  its  results 
cannot  be  doubtful.  There  are  many  proofs  that 
this  self-consciousness  includes  more  than  a  cold 
intellectuality.  In  the  reality  outside  of  us  there 
may  be  many  elements  for  which  we  have  no 
intellectual  formulas ;  the  consciousness  of  our 
ignorance  of  things  has  become  as  clear  as  our 
knowledge.  We  know  more  than  our  forefathers, 
because  we  know  that  we  know  less.  But  if  we 
cannot  find  absolute  formulas  for  external  things, 
there  always  being  a  dark  residue  of  the  un- 
known, why  may  not  this  be  equally  true  re- 
specting what  is  in  man  himself?  Can  we  ex- 
press in  intellectual  formulas  all  that  he  is  ?  From 
the  limits  of  the  intellect  we  are  led  to  the  feel- 
ings. They  are  real,  and  have  a  basis  of  reality  as 
truly  as  the  intellect.  Why  should  not  the  feel- 
ings then  reveal  a  reality  which  the  intellect  does 
not  so  fully  reveal  and  cannot  clearly  formulate  ? 
Perhaps  our  intellectuality  can  touch  but  not  in- 
terpret or  exhaust  what  is  highest  and  best. 
Whoever  wants  the  entire  personalit)^  must  take 
all  its  manifestations,  the  emotions  and  the  will, 
as  well  as  the  intellect.  As  thus  thought  deepens 
and  enlarges,  it  must  comprehend  man's  emotional 
nature,  his  longings,  his  faith,  his  ethics,  and  his 
religion.     And  from  the  bottom  struck  by  science 


80  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

the  process  of  reconstruction  is  going  on  which 
includes  the  whole  man,  his  spirit,  his  personality, 
his  feelings,  not  merely  his  cold  intellect. 

While  therefore  science  is  absolute,  so  far  as  it 
goes,  it  cannot  compass  the  whole  of  being,  it  does 
not  comprehend  all  of  man's  interests,  and  it  is  not 
the  limit  of  his  aspirations.  Science  cannot  take 
the  place  of  faith ;  it  can  at  best  draw  the  line 
where  mathematical  proof  ends  and  faith  begins. 
Nor  does  faith  build  on  science  ;  it  builds  on  the 
capacities  and  needs  of  man,  using  science  and  all 
other  light  for  guidance.  While  therefore  the 
value  of  science  is  not  questioned,  other  than  sci- 
entific interests  are  emphasized,  and  other  than 
scientific  studies  are  cultivated.  The  process  is 
going  on  from  nature  to  man  ;  from  matter  to 
mind ;  from  the  severe  science  in  physics  and 
chemistry  to  the  admission  of  speculation  and 
theories  in  the  less  exactly  scientific  studies 
of  biology,  physiology,  anthropology,  medicine, 
psycho-physics  ;  and  from  these  the  process  leads 
to  psychology  and  the  whole  domain  of  philosophy. 
Those  who  thought  that  the  mind  must  end  with 
science  have  had  time  to  learn  that  they  mistook 
the  beginning  for  the  end. 

The  effort  to  rise  above  the  dominant  realism  is 
also  seen  in  the  growing  interest  in  philosophical 
thought.  While  the  thoroughness  of  specialization 
is  praised,  its  narrowness  and  exclusiveness  are 
lamented.     It  is  admitted  that  knowledge  has  be- 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  81 

come  fragmentary,  that  bits  of  ruins  are  now  dis- 
tributed among  investigators,  but  that  the  master 
mind  to  construct  the  whole  into  a  beautiful  sys- 
tem is  wanting.  The  numerous  philosophical 
works  now  produced  are  hailed  with  joy  as  an 
evidence  that  the  fragments  of  specialization  are 
to  be  united,  so  as  to  enable  the  mind  once  more 
to  get  a  view  of  the  universe  as  a  totality.  Instead 
of  stopping  with  atoms  and  mechanical  forces, 
mind,  reason  as  supreme  in  the  universe  are  em- 
phasized, and  with  Aristotle,  Leibnitz,  Hegel,  and 
Lotze  design  is  recognized  as  the  evidence  of  a 
controlling  reason. 

There  are  also  proofs  that  the  dominant  natural- 
ism and  realism  have  not  been  able  wholly  to 
banish  the  ideals  from  literature  and  art.  Real 
life  has  so  much  of  the  gross  and  the  prosaic,  that 
men  at  last  tire  of  having  the  same  perpetually 
obtruded  upon  them  in  books  and  pictures.  Both 
in  France  and  Germany  critics  are  analyzing  the 
coarseness  of  the  prevalent  naturalism  and  expos- 
ing its  disgusting  features.  It  has  become  evident 
that  the  studio  is  largely  ruled  by  the  market. 
Art  exhibitions  bring  together  pictures  with  such 
trivial  subjects,  so  little  thought,  and  so  poorly 
executed,  that  aesthetic  taste  is  offended.  Some 
things  are  put  on  exhibition,  which  seem  to  have 
been  designed  for  the  aesthetics  of  swine  rather 
than  for  human  appreciation.  The  plea  is  that 
this  is  the  art  that  vulgar  wealth  wants  ;  that  the 
6 


82  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

artist  wants  money,  and  therefore  he  paints  such 
stuff.  But  this  lack  of  ideas,  this  degeneracy  of 
art,  is  exciting  more  comment  in  ever-increasing 
circles  and  cannot  last.  Things  may  become  so 
bad  that  human  nature  itself  at  last  revolts  ;  and 
this  stage  has  been  attained  by  much  of  the  art  of 
the  day.  Men  are  tiring  of  the  naturalism  and 
animalism,  and  are  asking  for  a  little  human- 
ism, intellectualism,  sestheticism,  and  spiritualism. 
Especially  among  young  men  of  culture  and  aspi- 
ration is  a  new  idealism  beginning  to  flourish. 
Alexander  Dumas  fils  writes  that  a  reaction  will 
no  doubt  soon  take  place  against  "the  constant 
portraiture  of  wickedness,"  and  that  posterity  will 
care  to  preserve  only  the  works  which  aim  at  the 
purification  and  welfare  of  mankind.  "  The  future 
generation  will  want  a  spiritual  ideal  to  lift  men 
out  of  the  mire."  The  same  spirit  is  manifesting 
itself  in  other  lands.  Men  are  experimenting  with 
the  various  forms  of  reality  to  learn  how  far  these 
can  meet  the  needs  of  the  soul.  Here  naturalism 
fails.  Human  nature  testifies,  that  it  wants  what 
interprets  the  soul  to  itself  and  fulfils  the  prophe- 
cies buried  in  the  heart.  Hence  a  present  reality 
without  a  future,  an  insight  into  what  now  is,  but 
with  no  hint  as  to  what  is  to  come,  cannot  be  final. 
Mind,  like  nature,  is  full  of  seeds  whose  energy 
pushes  toward  a  harvest.  Still  more  than  nature 
even  is  man  full  of  prophecies.  Hence  that  spirit 
in  literature  and  art,  which  has  a  present  reality 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  83 

with  no  future  hope  or  aspiration,  is  false.  That 
realism  which  has  only  a  present,  and  that  present 
nothing  but  a  grave,  is  not  adapted  to  the  soul. 
There  are  therefore  tendencies  in  literature  and 
art  toward  a  truer  and  better  realism  than  that 
presented  by  the  dominant  naturalism.  And  the 
day  for  the  revival  of  poetry,  and  for  the  preva- 
lence of  ideals  and  prophecies  in  fiction  and  art, 
may  not  be  distant.  Indeed,  it  looks  as  if  the 
human  mind,  in  order  to  avenge  itself  for  the  in- 
dignity heaped  on  it  by  the  dominant  realism, 
sought  compensation  in  the  revival  of  supersti- 
tions and  in  the  ghosts  of  spiritualism,  now  so 
abundant  in  lands  the  most  scientific. 

That  the  dominant  spirit  and  trend  of  the  age 
are  arousing  opposition  is  evident  from  the  numer- 
ous efforts  to  reform  education.  Some  of  these 
efforts  are  of  course  made  by  the  dominant  spirit, 
as  the  tendency  to  make  nature  instead  of  man, 
the  body  rather  than  the  spirit,  the  controlling 
factor  in  education.  But  there  are  also  counter- 
tendencies.  The  present  systems  of  education  are 
admitted  to  be  failures  in  many  respects,  and  are 
made  responsible  for  a  large  share  of  the  existing 
evils.  In  opposition  to  the  materialistic  trend  of 
culture,  it  is  claimed  that  the  highest  interests  of 
man  must  receive  more  attention  in  the  schools, 
that  an  ethical  purpose  must  be  more  emphasized, 
and  that  a  religious  spirit  ought  to  be  cultivated. 
Instead  of  heaping  a  mass  of  learned  material  on 


84  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

the  mind,  stress  is  laid  on  thinking,  on  the  educa- 
tion of  the  mind  itself,  on  the  actual  development 
of  intellectual  power,  so  that,  as  the  Germans  say^ 
not  what  a  man  knows,  but  what  he  can^  is  the 
test  of  his  education.  So  there  is  a  reaction  against 
the  exclusive  intellectualism  in  the  schools.  Not 
intellectuality  merely,  but  the  normal  develop- 
ment of  the  whole  man,  of  the  heart  and  will,  as 
well  as  of  the  head,  is  proclaimed  as  the  mission 
of  the  teacher.  The  school  is  held  responsible  for 
the  formation  of  the  character,  for  the  symmetrical 
unfolding  and  strengthening  of  the  personality, 
for  the  training  of  boys  and  girls  into  true  men 
and  women.  Even  the  emphasis  now  placed  on 
the  necessity  of  training  men  for  the  state  and  for 
society  is  an  advance  on  the  dominance  of  purely 
natural  studies  and  interests. 

Some  of  the  phenomena  of  the  day  are  really 
more  favorable  than  at  first  sight  appears.  This 
is  true  of  certain  literary  tendencies.  Much  is 
made  of  the  light  and  trashy  character  of  the  lit- 
erature which  forms  the  intellectual  food  of  mil- 
lions ;  it  looks  like  an  evidence  of  degeneracy 
compared  with  former  times.  The  predominance 
of  this  kind  of  literature  certainly  throws  an  im- 
portant light  on  the  popular  intellect  of  the  age. 
But  it  ought  to  be  considered,  that  the  producers 
and  readers  of  literature  have  greatly  increased 
over  past  ages.  Where  formerly  there  were  no 
readers  at  all  now  there  are  multitudes.     Intelli- 


CHA RAC TERIS TICS  OF  THE  A GE.  85 

gence  has  been  more  widely  diffused,  and  literature 
has  ceased  to  be  a  monopoly.  Since  the  masses 
have  joined  the  reading  public,  it  is  not  strange 
that  there  has  been  a  rapid  increase  in  light  litera- 
ture. The  fact  that  more  novels  are  read  than 
formerly  is  no  evidence  that  solid  books  are  in  less 
demand  than  heretofore.  There  are  more  readers 
now,  and  they  naturally  seek  what  is  adapted  to 
their  tastes  and  capacities.  More  light  books  are 
read  than  ages  ago,  but  also  more  solid  ones. 
Never  were  more  learned  works  produced  than 
now.  The  specialties  alone,  each  with  its  own 
literature,  produce  whole  libraries  of  substantial 
volumes. 

It  should  also  be  considered,  that  much  of  the 
best  material  formerly  put  into  books  is  now  pub- 
lished in  journals.  Literature  has  became  so  vast 
that  the  demand  for  condensation  is  strong  and 
growing.  Men  insist  on  brief  articles,  where 
formerly  they  had  time  for  volumes.  There  are 
journals  for  all  the  departments  of  thought,  through 
which  scholars  communicate  with  one  another  and 
with  the  public.  This  indeed  promotes  dilettante- 
ism,  but  also  general  intelligence.  It  is  no  less 
true  that  specialists  have  greatly  increased  than 
that  enlightenment  has  become  more  universal. 

Among  the  most  marked  changes  is  the  fact 
that  literature  has  become  a  profession,  while  in 
former  ages  it  was  pursued  more  from  love  or  for 
the  sake  of  fame.     Perhaps  it  is  too  dignified  to 


86  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

call  literature  a  profession  ;  in  many  cases,  at  leasts 
it  is  more  correct  to  call  it  a  trade,  a  mercantile 
pursuit.  If  former  authors  wrote  for  immortality, 
or  because  some  inner  impulse  was  irresistible,  or 
some  great  cause  demanded  their  advocacy,  now 
multitudes  write  for  money.  Every  country 
abounds  with  writers,  who  are  ready  to  supply 
what  the  market  needs.  They  write  to  order,  and 
about  equally  well  on  all  subjects.  As  common 
food  is  most  in  demand,  they  are  able  to  furnish  a 
very  common  article.  The  sensational  novel  and 
spectacular  play  pay  best ;  therefore  they  flood  the 
market.  Even  truth,  justice,  morality,  and  re- 
ligion have  their  pecuniary  value.  The  reading 
public  get  what  the  reading  public  want.  Men 
can  easily  be  found  who  have  their  price,  and  who 
have  so  many  opinions  of  the  public  as  to  have 
none  of  their  own.  A  man  may  even  have  princi- 
ples without  being  a  man  of  principle. 

Here  too,  therefore,  we  are  apt  to  be  mistaken 
respecting  the  trend.  We  have  something  where 
formerly  there  was  nothing ;  and  while  what  we 
now  have  is  often  worse  than  nothing,  we  also  have 
more  that  is  excellent  than  heretofore.  There  are 
many  valuable  journals  where  formerly  none  ex- 
isted, and  the  constant  demand  for  superior  articles 
is  developing  the  best  class  of  authorship.  The 
evils  in  journalism  and  literature  are  seen,  and 
this  is  the  first  requisite  for  overcoming  them. 
Journalism,  the  great  educator,  is  itself  being  edu- 
cated. 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  AGE.  87 

While  thus  the  study  of  the  age  reveals  charac- 
teristics that  are  extremely  sad  and  cause  serious 
apprehension,  we  also  see  tendencies  of  a  more 
hopeful  character.  With  the  basest  we  find  also 
the  noblest  powers  in  our  times.  All  are  pecul- 
iarly energized ;  the  conflicts  of  the  ages  have 
been  intensified.  For  the  man  of  thought,  of 
piety,  of  energy,  it  is  not  an  age  to  dream  idly  of 
the  good  old  times,  but  an  age  of  opportunity,  of 
possibility,  grand  achievements. 

It  must  also  be  considered  that  our  age  is  but  a 
fragment.  A  drop  is  not  the  stream.  An  age  is 
not  humanity,  and  its  interests  and  concerns  are 
not  an  exhaustive  revelation  of  what  is  in  man. 
The  ideas  that  dominate  a  generation  may  be  as 
fleeting  as  the  generation  itself.  The  crusades, 
which  frenzied  nations  and  ages,  have  gone  to  re- 
turn no  more.  So  with  other  dominant  ideas,  they 
had  a  temporal,  not  an  eternal  significance.  The 
same  applies  to  the  dominant  powers  of  this  age. 
The  notions  of  materialistic  realism  are  not  only 
liable  to  change,  but  are  already  in  a  process  of 
transition. 

With  our  age,  then,  we  must  also  study  other 
ages  in  order  to  get  the  full  truth.  And  this  study 
is  now  one  of  the  strongest  levers  to  lift  the  age 
above  itself.  Thus  the  knowledge  which  the 
human  intellect  has  deposited  in  history,  in  lin- 
guistics, in  the  philosophy  of  religion,  and  in  other 
subjects  which  are  the  growth  of  ages,  may  exalt 


88  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

the  mind  into  a  realm  above  naturalism.  All 
studies  which  centre  in  man  and  in  his  higher 
products  are  calculated  to  break  through  the  dom- 
inant realism.  In  connection  with  theology  and 
religion,  whose  position  in  the  age  will  be  consid- 
ered in  the  next  chapter,  the  historic  studies  have 
helped  to  conserve  and  develop  a  taste  for  the 
ideal  treasures  of  humanity. 

The  characteristics  of  the  age,  largely  inter- 
preted as  a  reaction  against  the  wild  speculation 
and  the  unreality  in  past  pursuits,  and  in  so  many 
respects  justifiable,  give  an  insight  into  the  great 
problems  around  which  the  conflict  now  rages. 
Matter  and  spirit,  nature  and  personality,  the  brute 
and  man,  naturalism  and  spiritualism,  mechanical 
force  and  design,  atoms  and  God,  are  the  great 
themes  in  the  controversy.  All  the  deepest  inter- 
ests of  man  are  involved,  ethics  and  religion,  as 
well  as  the  highest  intellectual  concerns.  Reality 
is  the  quest  of  all  the  disputants ;  but  on  the 
nature  of  reality  the  disputants  are  divided  into 
different  camps.  Never  were  the  problems  more 
momentous,  never  the  disputants  more  in  earnest, 
and  never  were  the  requirements  for  the  purpose 
of  securing  the  final  victory  greater. 


RELIGION  AND   THEOLOGY.  89 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Religion  and  Theology  in  the  Age. 

Spirituality  in  the  midst  of  naturalism  and 
materialism;  religious  faith  in  an  era  concen- 
trating its  energies  on  empirical  investigation  and 
insisting  on  demonstration  ;  and  theology  in  an 
age  of  criticism,  positivism,  and  agnosticism  :  these 
are  the  problems  we  are  now  to  consider.  Not  the 
place  of  religion  and  theology  in  the  church  is  our 
aim,  but  in  the  world  outside  of  the  church. 

Since   religion   and  morality   are   a   life  of  the 
heart  and  the  will,  we  cannot  regard  their  outward 
manifestations  as  absolute  criteria  of  their  actual 
condition.      The  number   professing   Christianity 
in  a  nation  no  more  indicates  the  religious  char- 
acter of  the  people,  than  a  state  religion  makes 
the  state  religious.      The  vast  majority  in  a  state 
may  be  indifferent  to  religion  ;  and  in  some  cities, 
called   Christian,   not   over   two  per   cent  of   the 
members  of   the  state  church  attend  divine  ser- 
vices.    How  little  the  actual  condition  of  religion 
can  be  learned  from  the  existence  of  a  state  church 
is  evident  from  the  fact,  that  even  atheists  and  the 
most  abandoned  characters  are  regarded  as  mem- 


90  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

bers,  unless  by  some  official  declaration  of  their 
own  they  withdraw  from  the  church.  It  is  the 
real,  not  the  nominal  place  of  religion  which  we 
are  seeking. 

The  stress  now  laid  on  statistical  Christianity  is 
calculated  to  withdraw  attention  from  the  real 
power  of  the  Christian  religion.  The  nominal 
membership,  the  annual  growth,  the  increase  of 
churches,  the  amount  of  the  contributions,  perhaps 
the  wealth  of  denominations  and  the  brilliancy  of 
ecclesiastical  displays,  receive  the  greatest  empha- 
sis. Nothing  more  than  religion  depends  on  real- 
ity as  its  essence  ;  and  yet  in  no  department  do 
empty  phraseology  and  hypocritical  form  play  a 
more  conspicuous  part. 

The  relative  position  of  religion  in  the  world 
has  undergone  a  great  change.  Even  if  now  re- 
ligion were  as  extensive  and  powerful  as  some 
centuries  ago,  its  place  could  not  be  the  same  as 
then,  because  other  subjects  and  interests  have 
attained  greater  prominence  than  formerly.  In- 
stead of  being  the  sole  lord,  or  at  least  the  chief 
among  dominant  factors,  religion  is  now  not  only 
obliged  to  yield  the  dominion  to  other  pov/ers,  but 
in  many  places  it  is  hardly  considered  either  in 
politics  or  in  public  life  as  a  controlling  force. 
The  secular  have  been  emancipated  from  the 
vSpiritiial  authorities,  and  in  some  respects  have 
made  the  latter  subject  to  them.  The  restoration 
of  the  supremacy  of    the  spiritual  power  is    the 


RELIGION  AND  THEOLOGY.  91 

great  aim  of  ultramontanism  and  Jesuitism.  Even 
in  Catholic  countries  the  relative  position  of  the 
temporal  and  spiritual  powers  has  been  reversed. 

This  change  has  been  as  marked  in  education 
as  in  politics.  Not  the  confessions  but  the  states 
control  the  schools.  This  alone  is  enough  to  give 
a  new  aspect  to  religious  affairs  in  France,  Italy, 
Austria,  the  Catholic  states  of  Germany,  and  in 
other  countries.  By  taking  the  schools  from  the 
priests,  the  entire  education  of  the  people,  from 
the  elementary  schools  to  the  universities,  has 
undergone  a  change.  In  Germany  the  professor- 
ships in  other  than  the  theological  faculties  of  the 
universities  are  accessible  to  men  of  all  shades  of 
religion,  and  even  to  avowed  atheists.  At  Halle, 
where  Tholuck  and  Julius  Mueller  were  once 
professors,  the  authorities  of  the  university  elected 
a  Jew  as  rector  for  the  year  1 890-1 891. 

The  change  in  the  relative  position  of  the  spirit- 
ual and  secular  authorities  was  possible,  only  be- 
cause religion  and  its  leaders  had  lost  their  former 
place.  Protestant  as  well  as  Catholic  countries 
have  been  affected.  Protestantism  has  not  made 
religion  secular,  but  it  has  enlarged  the  views  and 
interests  of  religion,  while  at  the  same  time  it  has 
made  secular  affairs  more  independent.  Thought 
and  feeling  and  the  world  have  been  enlarged, 
and  long  processes  of  development  have  inaugu- 
rated a  new  era,  with  new  interests,  new  studies, 
and  new  pursuits.      Where  formerly  the  church 


92  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

and  religion  were  supreme  in  the  thoughts  of  the 
people,  now  politics,  industries,  machinery,  and 
other  secular  concerns  absorb  the  attention.  The 
church  has  yielded  to  the  market,  and  the  worship- 
ers have  become  bu5^ers  and  sellers.  Each  of  the 
intellectual  and  secular  characteristics  of  the  day, 
given  in  the  preceding  chapter,  is  the  centre  of  a 
multitude  of  transformations,  all  of  which  affect 
the  position  of  religion. 

Amid  the  dominant  intellectual,  political,  and 
industrial  pursuits  religion  has  been  thrown  on 
the  defensive,  and  is  obliged  to  contend  for  its 
place.  The  world  with  its  earthly  concerns  has 
become  larger  and  mightier,  and  has  encroached 
on  the  domain  of  religion.  We  can  understand 
the  solitary  j^rominence  of  the  church  in  former 
time  :  it  had  no  rivals,  its  opponents  among  the 
people  were  few  and  weak,  and  its  interests  over- 
awed all  secular  affairs.  Then  religion  could  be 
separated  from  other  concerns  ;  its  isolation  was 
that  of  a  monarch  on  a  throne.  This  by  no  means 
implies  that  then  religion  was  truer,  purer,  and 
better  than  at  present ;  it  only  shows  that  it  occu- 
pied a  place  which  has  become  impossible  in  mod- 
ern society.  The  church  building  may  remain  the 
same  as  in  former  ages  ;  and  yet  where  once  it  was 
the  most  conspicuous  object  in  the  city,  it  may 
now  be  invisible,  because  palaces  and  business 
blocks  tower  above  it  and  hide  it  from  view.  The 
old  saying,  where  God  builds  a  church,  the  devil 


RELIGION  AND  THEOLOGY,  9a 

builds  a  chapel  beside  it,  is  hardly  applicable  to 
our  times  ;  it  is  nearer  the  truth  to  say  that  where 
the  people  build  a  chapel,  the  devil  builds  a  cathe- 
dral beside  it. 

The  relative  place  of  religion  may  be  learned 
from  the  daily  press.  Even  where  this  is  friendly, 
but  little  space  is  given  to  religious  affairs.  Espec- 
ially is  this  true  of  continental  Europe.  Often  the 
press  is  totally  indifferent,  sometimes  bitterly 
hostile.  Empty  compliments  are  of  course  paid 
the  churches  in  order  to  secure  subscribers.  That 
the  press  is  actually  controlled  by  a  Christian 
spirit  is  not  true  of  any  land.  If  it  were  true,  the 
press  could  not  be  what  it  is.  There  are  excep- 
tions, but  they  are  striking  because  so  rare.  A 
large  part  of  the  press  on  the  Continent  ignores 
religion,  because  regarded  as  too  weak  to  deserve 
special  attention.  Society  at  large  also  has  other 
than  religious  interests  to  occupy  its  attention. 
How  little  of  the  thought,  the  conversation,  and 
the  life,  even  of  the  most  religious  nations,  is 
really  concerned  about  religion. 

This  is  what  ought  to  be  expected  in  an  age  sub- 
stantially secular.  Add  to  the  dominance  of  mate- 
terial  interests  the  prevalence  of  doubt,  and  the 
consequent  loosening  of  moral  restraints,  and  we 
shall  have  the  interpretation  of  many  of  the 
phenomena  of  the  day.  The  very  distractions  of 
modern  life  are  hostile  to  religious  meditation. 
So  many  external   objects   engage   the  attention 


94  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

that  the  culture  of  the  inner  man  is  neglected. 
The  whole  force  of  modern  realism  is  exerted  to 
thrust  religion  into  the  background,  if  it  is  not 
buried  under  earthly  rubbish. 

The  change  in  the  place  of  religion  does  not  in- 
dicate its  decay.  The  transitions  are  the  same  as 
those  usually  found  in  crises.  Religion  as  an  insti- 
tution, as  embodied  in  a  church,  is  not  as  promi- 
nent as  formerly.  When  in  politics  and  in  the 
press  the  Catholic  church  is  lauded,  it  is  less  for 
its  religious  character  than  for  its  organization 
and  external  power.  Religion  as  a  hierarchy  and 
as  ecclesiasticism  has  suffered  great  loss  in  popu- 
lar estimation  ;  but  this  is  largely  due  to  the  fact 
that  religion  is  now  regarded  more  as  a  personal 
affair,  as  a  concern  of  the  heart.  The  idea  of 
religion  has  been  purified  and  deepened.  It  is 
now  admitted  that  a  man  may  be  churchly  and 
sectarian  without  being  either  moral  or  pious.  As 
a  conviction  and  life  of  the  heart  religion  is  re- 
spected in  circles  which  are  not  religious.  There 
is  a  tendency  to  emphasize  it  as  a  private,  personal 
concern,  rather  than  as  institutional  and  churchly. 
It  is  thus  esteemed  even  by  skeptics,  because  it  is 
admitted  that  each  one  has  a  right  to  his  own  sub- 
jectivity, and  ought  to  follow  his  honest  convic- 
tions. With  all  that  seems  averse  to  religion  in 
our  day,  there  are  also  processes  which  tend  to 
free  religion  from  its  false  attachments,  and  to 
make  it  in  the  best  sense  a  personal  life  and  a  per- 


RELIGION  AND  THEOLOGY.  95 

sonal  power.  Many  elements  of  religion,  formerly 
regarded  as  exclusive  possessions  of  the  church, 
have  now  become  part  of  the  life  of  the  people  and 
of  the  leaven  of  nations. 

As  men  may  be  churchly  without  being  pious, 
so  they  may  be  religious  without  being  churchly. 
This  is  the  case  in  the  Latin  countries,  where 
many  are  alienated  from  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  and  yet  cherish  religious  faith  and  hope. 
But  it  is  also  true  of  Protestant  lands,  particu- 
larly of  those  in  continental  Europe.  Where 
a  state  church  prevails,  it  is  apt  to  be  regarded  as 
an  institution  of  the  government ;  and  hostility  to 
the  government  is  likely  to  engender  hostility  to 
the  church.  The  church  is  no  longer  the  same 
standard  of  religion  as  in  former  times ;  piety  is 
not  any  more  so  exclusively  dependent  on  it,  being- 
regarded  as  more  directly  dependent  on  Scripture 
and  an  immediate  communion  with  God.  Thus, 
while  there  may  be  much  less  religion  than  the 
attendance  on  divine  services  implies,  there  being- 
many  whose  religion  is  only  formal ;  so  there  may 
also  be  much  more  religion  than  is  represented  in 
the  churches.  In  many  places  there  are  believers, 
who  find  the  condition  of  the  churches  such  that 
they  think  themselves  able  to  worship  God  in 
spirit  and  in  truth  better  at  home.  Particularly 
are  the  denominational  and  confessional  standards 
unfit  for  tests  of  the  prevalence  of  religion.  There 
is  much  piety  which  is  neither  denominational  nor 


96  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

confessional,  but  springs  directly  from  Scripture, 
is  chiefly  a  trust  which  cannot  be  compressed  into 
dogmatic  formulas,  and  manifests  itself  in  love  to 
God  and  to  man. 

The  age  outside  of  the  church  is  probably  far 
more  religious  than  is  usually  supposed.  The  fact 
that  it  often  manifests  so  little  spirituality  is 
largely  due  to  circumstances.  The  very  attacks 
on  religion  are  proof  that  men  cannot  ignore  it. 
The  prevalence  of  religious  doubt  is  evidence 
that  there  is  not  religious  death.  Many  of  the 
religious  phenomena  of  the  day  are  due  to  the  fer- 
ment of  the  times.  There  is  much  longing  and 
searching  for  religion,  and  this  may  be  followed 
by  a  period  of  realization  and  finding.  Religion 
has  been  made  more  inclusive  than  formerly,  and 
spiritual  inspiration  may  now  be  found,  where 
heretofore  it  was  not  sought.  Ways  may  now  lead 
to  God  which  were  formerly  thought  to  end  only 
in  the  world ;  and  what  was  once  thought  to  be 
foreign  to  Christ  may  be  found  intimately  related 
to  His  kingdom.  The  emphasis  has  heretofore 
been  placed  on  the  saying  of  Christ,  "  He  that  is 
not  with  me  is  against  me ; "  but  the  time  has 
come  to  heed  also  the  other  saying,  "  He  that  is 
not  against  us  is  on  our  part."  Were  it  not  liable  to 
misunderstanding,  we  might  say  that  the  age  has 
much  unconscious  religion,  that  it  is  rich  in  spirit- 
ual prophecies  which  are  aw^aiting  their  fulfilment. 
Its  spiritual  seeds  are  largely  buried  in  earthly 


RELIGION  A  ND  THEOLO  G  V.  97 

substances,  and  it  remains  yet  to  be  seen  whether 
in  such  a  soil  these  seeds  can  germinate  and  bear 
fruit.  Perhaps  the  earthly  environment  has  been 
too  much  neglected  by  religion,  and  now  this 
world,  in  the  form  of  a  reaction,  is  asserting  its 
rights,  and  demanding  that  there  shall  be  a  new 
and  healthier  adjustment  of  the  spiritual  and  the 
material,  the  heavenly  and  the  earthly. 

Still  more  than  religion  has  the  place  of  theology 
been  affected.  Indeed,  owing  to  a  mistaken  iden- 
tification of  theology  with  religion,  it  is  often  sup- 
posed that  there  has  been  a  change  in  religion 
when  the  theological  opinions  have  changed. 
Many  men  of  the  world  profess  a  high  regard  for 
religion  who  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  theology. 
This  is  the  more  significant,  since  the  growth  in 
intellectual  pursuits  would  lead  us  to  expect  that 
theology,  the  intellectual  expression  of  Christian 
faith  and  experience,  ought  to  grow  in  favor  with 
intellectual  progress.  Religion  has  the  advantage 
of  immediateness,  being  a  direct,  spontaneous  ex- 
pression of  the  personality,  and  therefore  seeming 
to  be  a  manifestation  of  the  soul's  reality ;  while 
theology  is  more  reflective,  and  suffers  from  the 
general  depreciation  to  which  thought  transcend- 
ing the  dominant  realism  is  subject.  So  sharply 
is  the  religious  element  in  certain  quarters  now 
being  distinguished  from  the  theological,  that  re- 
ligion is  respected  as  a  right  of  human  nature,  no 
matter  whether  it  be  Jewish  or  Christian,  Protest- 
7 


98  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

ant  or  Catholic,  Buddhistic  or  Mohammedan,  It 
is  a  respect  for  the  religious  instinct  rather  than 
regard  for  any  particular  religion.  So  wholly  has 
the  religious  content  been  treated  as  indifferent 
that  not  only  positivism,  but  even  atheism,  has 
been  advocated  as  religious  ! 

Theological  unrest  is  a  common  symptom  of  the 
day.  The  same  dissatisfaction  is  found  in  peda- 
gogics, philosophy,  and  many  other  departments 
of  thought,  as  well  as  in  theology.  It  belongs  to 
the  era  of  transformation.  But  no  student  of  the 
times  can  fail  to  see,  that  the  prominence  formerly 
given  to  theology  is  now  either  shared  with  other 
departments  or  is  yielded  to  them.  Scientific 
specializations,  until  recently  unknown,  now  hold 
the  foremost  place  in  the  university  and  in  litera- 
ture. The  vast  realm  of  political,  sociological, 
economical,  technical,  industrial,  and  commercial 
literature,  is  essentially  a  modern  creation.  While 
new  worlds  of  thought  thus  require  attention,  lit- 
tle study  is  devoted  to  theology  by  men  outside  of 
the  church.  Nor  is  it  now,  as  in  former  times,  the 
norm  in  intellectual  pursuits,  making  other  de- 
partments of  thought  subservient  to  its  principles. 
Science,  philosophy,  philology,  history,  and  all  de- 
partments of  secular  scholarship,  pursue  their 
course  without  regard  to  theological  tenets.  The 
fact  that  it  deals  with  revelation  and  divine  things 
formerly  gave  theology  the  preeminence  as  the 
science  of  sciences  ;  but  what  formerly  gave  it  the 


RELIGION  AND  THEOLOGY.  99 

preeminence,  is  now  deemed  by  many  a  sufficient 
reason  for  excluding  it  from  the  sciences.  Not 
only  have  the  departments  formerly  subject  to 
theology  become  independent,  but  the  rationaliz- 
ing and  secularizing  processes  of  these  depart- 
ments have  entered  the  domain  of  theology  and 
affected  its  character. 

Most  striking  is  the  change  in  the  relative  posi- 
tion of  theology  and  philosophy.  Formerly  Plato 
and  Aristotle  were  regarded  as  valuable,  because 
they  could  help  theology,  and  it  is  still  the  theory 
of  the  Catholic  church  that  philosophy  is  the  ser- 
vant of  theology.  But  no  philosopher  of  note 
thinks  of  shaping  his  philosophy  according  to  the 
dictates  or  dogmas  of  theology.  Philosophy  is 
recognized  as  a  purely  rational  discipline  ;  and  as 
reason  alone  is  concerned  in  its  development,  noth- 
ing can  be  permitted  to^  dictate  to  that  reason  or 
to  hamper  it  in  its  researches.  After  the  great 
philosophical  systems  of  modern  times  were  com- 
pleted, efforts  were  made  to  harmonize  them  with 
the  prevalent  dogmas,  or  to  overthrow  the  philo- 
sophical conclusions.  But  equally  strong  have 
been  the  attempts  to  adapt  theology  to  philosophy. 
In  his  "  Religion  within  the  Limits  of  Pure  Rea- 
son," Kant  gave  the  philosophical  principles  which 
he  regarded  as  normative  for  religion  and  theology. 
And  in  other  than  the  Kantian  school  of  philoso- 
phy, strenuous  efforts  were  made  so  to  reconstruct 
theology  as  to  make  it  harmonize  with  the  preva- 


100  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

lent  philosophical  system.  Kantian  and  Hegelian 
theologians  have  been  especially  numerous ;  and 
much  of  the  best  German  thought  of  the  century, 
from  Schleiermacher  to  the  present,  has  been 
affected  by  attempts  to  reconcile  theological  dog- 
mas with  the  various  schools  of  philosophic  thought. 
As  the  philosophic  systems  changed  rapidly,  this 
also  led  to  frequent  changes  in  theology  ;  and  now 
the  school  of  Ritschl  aims  to  sever  theology  from 
the  influence  of  philosophy,  or  at  least  metaphysics. 
Outside  of  Germany  the  influence  of  philosophy  on 
theology  has  also  been  powerful,  as  intuitionalism 
and  ''  common  sense "  in  Scotland  and  America, 
Locke,  Berkeley,  Hume,  Mill,  and  Spencer  in  Eng- 
land, and  sensationalism  in  France.  In  all  these 
countries  German  philosophy  has  also  exerted  a 
powerful  influence.  In  none  of  these  lands  can  a 
philosophy,  which  is  controlled  by  theological 
dogmas  instead  of  rational  principles,  hope  to  gain 
a  dominant  influence  over  thinkers. 

This  reversal  of  the  positions  of  theology  and 
philosophy  is  the  result  of  a  long  and  general 
process  of  thought,  and  is  characteristic  of  our 
times.  As  the  domain  of  empirical  inquiry  was 
enlarged  and  intellectualism  made  more  exclusive, 
faith  received  less  attention  and  became  subject  to 
more  suspicion.  Rationalism,  positivism,  natural- 
ism, and  agnosticism  are  terms  which  indicate 
that  empiricism  and  reason  are  regarded  as  all- 
sufficient,  so  that  supematuralism  and  faith  can 


RELIGION  AND  THEOLOGY.  101 

be  dispensed  with.  When  empirical  and  rational 
methods  are  subjected  to  the  severest  tests,  as  by 
the  critical  spirit  of  the  times,  can  we  be  surprised 
that  a  critical  and  negative  spirit  has  seriously 
affected  theology  ?  The  domain  of  knowledge  has 
become  so  vast  and  so  attractive  that  not  a  few 
scholars  hesitate  to  enter  the  realm  of  faith  in 
which  theology  lives. 

The  questioning  of  faith  is  not  modern.  There 
was  a  Thomas  among  the  disciples  and  an  Abelard 
among  the  Scholastics.  But  never  before  were 
the  attacks  so  radical,  aiming  at  the  destruction 
of  the  very  fundamentals  of  belief  and  tending  to 
make  theology  impossible.  Not  only  have  we  in- 
herited the  objections  raised  against  Christian 
faith  by  Hume,  Kant,  Hegel,  and  their  disciples, 
but  also  those  of  numerous  other  systems ;  and 
these  objections  have  permeated  the  masses  and 
are  a  strong  element  in  the  general  tendencies  of 
the  day.  There  is  a  deeply  rooted  suspicion  that 
theology  deals  with  incomprehensible  mysteries 
and  with  uncertainties,  and  that  the  time  spent  on 
their  investigation  is  lost.  Besides  this  barrier  in 
the  way  of  theological  inquiry,  the  exclusive  habit 
formed  by  scientific  study  and  the  taste  developed 
by  secular  pursuits  are  unfavorable  to  theology. 

Religion  as  the  test  of  reason  has  been  changed 
into  reason  as  the  test  of  religion.  Even  down  to 
the  Reformation,  and  during  the  Reformation, 
faith  was  exalted  above  reason,  and  men  boasted  of 


102  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH, 

believing  against  reason.  Nor  has  this  spirit  van- 
ished in  our  day.  But  it  is  opposed  by  the  trend 
of  modern  thought.  Not  only  the  thinkers  but 
also  the  masses  reject  whatever  is  deemed  un- 
reasonable. Respecting  problems  which  transcend 
empiricism  a  rationalism  prevails,  which  insists 
that  reason  must  be  the  test  of  all  values. 

The  depreciation  of  theology  is  largely  the  re- 
sult of  reaction.  The  human  mind  is  apt  to  be 
absorbed  by  a  particular  object,  to  concentrate  on 
that  object  all  its  powers,  and  to  develop  it  in  soli- 
tary isolation  to  an  abstract  culmination.  This  may 
continue  for  ages,  but  not  forever  ;  the  neglected 
faculties  of  the  mind  will,  as  we  have  seen,  assert 
themselves,  and  the  ignored  objects  will  demand 
recognition.  There  is  no  doubt  that  theology  it- 
self is  largely  to  blame  for  its  present  position.  It 
has  not  been  deep  and  broad  and  exact  enough. 
It  has  been  exclusive  where  it  should  have  been 
inclusive.  The  emphasis  has  been  placed  on  the 
supernatural,  without  admitting  the  claims  of  the 
natural  ;  religious  faith  and  feeling  have  not  been 
balanced  by  reason,  and  their  human  conditions 
have  not  been  properly  examined  ;  divinity  dealt 
with  God  and  heaven,  but  forgot  human  nature 
and  the  claims  of  the  present  world ;  the  spirit 
was  cultivated,  but  the  body  was  treated  as  if  out- 
side of  the  sphere  of  religious  interests  ;  a  relig- 
ionism was  promoted  which  was  divorced  from 
ethics  ;   and  as  religion  itself  was  one-sided  and 


RELIGION  AND   THEOLOGY.  103 

unhealthy,  it  could  not  create  a  healthy  and  com- 
plete theology.     We  are  living  in  the  reaction,  and 
the  human  mind  is  avenging  itself  for  the  injustice 
it  has  suffered.     Not  only  has  human  nature  been 
treated  as  sinful,  but  also  as  so  despicable  that  the 
query  arose,  how  it  could  receive  divine  influences 
and  how  Christ  was  possible.     If  human  nature  is 
wholly  foreign  to  the  divine,  why  not  let  man  be 
absorbed  by  what   is  natural?      The  very  term 
"natural"  in  theology  has  been  fruitful  of  abuse. 
The   apostle   Paul  uses    "natural"    to   designate 
man's  perverted,  sinful  nature  ;  but  theologians 
have  forgotten  that  behind  this  sinful  nature  the 
original  nature  as  it  came  from  God  is  pure.     Man 
as  God's  offspring,  as  made  in  God's  image,  and  as 
therefore  created  for  God,  was  lost  sight  of.      The 
natural  itself,  and  not  only  as  sinful,  was  opposed 
to  the  divine  ;  and  thus  Christianity  was  placed  in 
a  false  antagonism  to  nature.     That  the  purely 
natural  is  the  soil  for  the  spiritual  was  ignored  ; 
that  religion  is  to  man  what  the  spirit  is  to  the 
body  wa's  overlooked ;   theology  has  been  so  op- 
pressed by  man's   degradation   that   the   dignity 
which  the  Gospel  ascribes  to  him  has  been  un- 
heeded ;  for  his  longings  and  aspirations  and  deep 
adaptation    to   spirituality   there  has    been  httle 
appreciation,  and  the  saying  of  TertuUian,  that 
the  soul  is  by  nature  a  Christian,  would  still  be 
branded  by  many   as  heretical ;    this   misunder- 
standing of  the  natural  has  led  to  an  unnatural 


104  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

separation  between  the  spiritual  and  the  natural, 
as  if  Christ  had  prayed  that  his  disciples  might  be 
taken  out  of  the  world,  instead  of  merely  being 
kept  from  the  evil  in  it ;  and  there  has  even  been 
a  deeply  seated  prejudice  against  natural  knowl- 
edge, in  certain  quarters,  as  if  hostile  to  divinity 
and  in  league  with  the  devil.  Religion  was  treated 
as  if  it  were  a  spirit  without  a  body,  its  earthly 
relations  and  conditions  not  being  properly  con- 
sidered. This  unnatural  and  inhuman  divorce 
between  the  spiritual  and  the  natural,  the  divine 
and  the  human,  has  interfered  with  the  production 
of  a  healthy  theology.  Religion  has  been  made 
so  exclusively  a  matter  of  God,  and  God  has  been 
put  so  infinitely  above  man  and  nature,  that  men 
have  wondered  how  religion  could  concern  them. 
And  it  is  not  surprising  that  many  have  been  in- 
clined to  postpone  their  religion,  which  seemed 
intended  only  for  glory,  until,  freed  from  the  body 
and  removed  from  the  earth,  their  spirits  enter 
heaven.  That  an  unearthly  and  inhuman  or  super- 
human religion  is  not  adapted  to  this  earthly  and 
human  life  seemed  self-evident  to  men.  And  it 
was  not  strange  that  a  one-sided  supernaturalism 
in  theology  led  to  rationalism  and  naturalism. 

Faith  and  reason  have  been  placed  in  an  antag- 
onism in  which  the  mind  cannot  possibly  rest. 
Belief  and  knowledge  have  likewise  been  repre- 
sented as  antagonistic,  and  then  the  question  arose, 
Which  is  to  be  regarded  as  supreme  ?     The  diffi- 


RELIGION  AND  THEOLOGY.  105 

culty  consisted  in  the  fact  that  the  terms  were  not 
properly  defined,  and  that  the  objects  for  which 
they  stood  were  not  mastered  by  thought.  The 
use  of  the  term  "reason"  has  been  very  varied. 
It  has  been  used  as  synonymous  with  common 
sense  ;  the  mind's  logical  processes  have  also  been 
called  reason  ;  sometimes  it  has  been  employed, 
as  by  Jacobi,  to  designate  the  faculty  of  faith  ;  and 
frequently  it  was  used  for  the  highest  mental  pow- 
er, that  which  deals  with  the  ideas,  and  with  the 
principles  of  thought,  of  ethics,  and  of  religion. 
Those  who  affirmed  the  supremacy  and  absolute- 
ness of  reason  of  course  meant  the  ideal,  perfect, 
abstract  reason  which  transcends  the  powers  of 
any  individual  mind ;  but  practically  they  put 
their  own  fallible  reason  on  the  throne  and  made 
it  final.  The  confusion  in  the  use  of  the  term  still 
prevails,  and  reason,  rational,  rationalism,  must  be 
defined  if  they  are  to  have  a  definite  meaning. 
While  the  relation  of  reason  to  faith  is  still  a  prob- 
lem, it  is  evident  that  theology  cannot  ignore  rea- 
son in  the  sense  of  the  highest  intellectual  demand 
for  definiteness  and  certaint}^  This  theology  ad- 
mits in  its  efforts  to  establish  the  rationality  of  its 
teachings.  Particularly  important  now  is  the  dis- 
tinction between  the  reasonableness  of  a  doctrine, 
and  the  full  comprehension  of  the  doctrine  by 
reason.  An  historical  event  which  we  cannot  fully 
understand  may  yet  be  so  well  authenticated  that 
it  would  be  unreasonable  to  deny  it.     Faith  may 


106  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH, 

be  rational  in  the  sense  that  there  is  good  ground 
for  the  belief,  while  the  objects  of  faith  cannot  be 
fully  explained.  Thus  faith  in  objects  not  rational 
(above  reason,  not  comprehensible  by  reason)  may 
be  rational.  Reason,  as  the  mind's  highest  crite- 
rion, destroys  credulity  but  establishes  a  valid 
faith. 

In  an  age  which  puts  reason  on  the  throne,  a 
theology  which  does  not  give  reason  an  exalted 
place  in  its  system  naturally  fails.  .  Some  theolo- 
gians have  highly  exalted  reason,  but  many  others 
have  depreciated  it.  And  then  it  was  not  only 
what  theologians  said,  but  the  general  attitude  of 
the  church  to  reason  which  affected  men  of  the 
world.  The  very  exaltation  of  faith  as  supreme 
offended  them.  Often  the  objects  of  faith  have 
been  presented  as  not  only  absolute,  but  as  also 
belonging  to  a  holy  of  holies  which  reason  is  not 
allowed  to  enter.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  in  the 
church  reason  has  frequently  been  treated  as  if 
innately  hostile  to  God,  as  the  tree  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  good  and  evil,  the  eating  of  whose  fruit 
meant  the  fall  of  man.  One  would  have  to  wipe 
out  the  history  of  Protestantism  in  order  to  deny, 
that  it  as  well  as  Catholicism  has  instituted  inqui- 
sitions against  the  free  use  of  reason.  Faith  and 
reason,  belief  and  knowledge,  have  by  no  means 
always  been  treated  as  supplementary. 

Theology  is  not  alone  or  wholly  to  blame  for  the 
confusion  and  the  abuse  of  terms.     The  very  ones 


RELIGION  AND  THEOLOGY.  107 

who  most  severely  criticize  theology  may  be  least 
able  to  stand  the  scrutiny  of  a  critical  spirit.     Men 
who  find  fault  with  the  light  may  simply  need  an 
oculist.     Those  who  object  to  faith  that  it  cannot 
be  demonstrated  and  does  not  lie  within  the  realm 
of  science,  are  right  according  to  the  meaning  of 
demonstration  and  science  as  used  by  them.     In 
that  sense  theology  cannot  be  a  science.     But  they 
are  mistaken  when  they  draw  the  inference  that 
there  is  no  ground  for  faith.     All  history  is  a  mat- 
ter of  faith,  not  of  scientific  demonstration  ;  but  is 
there  no  proof  of  historic  events  ?      There  may  be 
such  proof  as  makes  faith  rational,  while  unbelief 
is  by  that  proof  made  irrational. 

In  another  respect  there  is  confusion.  The  faith 
of  childhood  and  youth  is  frequently  based  on  in- 
sufficient and  even  false  reasons ;  yet  how  often 
are  these  the  only  grounds  of  belief  even  in  man- 
hood !  Now  it  is  very  common  to  reject  the  ob- 
jects believed  in  when  our  faulty  reasons  for  the 
belief  are  overthrown.  That  there  may  be  other 
and  valid  reasons  for  believing  in  those  objects, 
say  God  and  immortality,  is  not  considered.  Let 
us  suppose  that  a  man  regards  Kant  as  a  critical 
philosopher  because  he  wrote  a  '' Critique  of  all 
Revelation,"  a  book  originally  attributed  to  Kant. 
Afterwards,  the  man  discovers  that  the  volume 
was  not  written  by  Kant,  but  by  Fichte  ;  hence 
he  concludes  that  Kant  is  not  a  critical  philoso- 
pher.    But  he  is  not  aware  that  Kant  wrote  three 


108  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Other  Critiques,  and  that  his  system  is  thoroughly 
critical,  and  that  Fichte  received  from  Kant  the 
impulse  to  write  his  book.  The  fact  that  my 
ground  for  believing  in  an  object  is  false  has  not 
the  slightest  effect  on  the  object  itself,  and  does 
not  prove  that  validity  of  faith  in  the  object  is 
impossible  ;   it  affects  only  my  basis  of  faith. 

Not  only  must  the  mind  now  begin  at  the  bottom 
in  order  to  work  its  way  up  to  the  ideals  of  which 
it  has  been  robbed,  but  many  tendencies  also 
seek  to  keep  the  mind  at  the  bottom.  In  many 
instances  the  whole  domain  of  faith  must  be 
re-conquered  ;  the  realism  of  faith  must  be  re- 
constructed. Even  the  right  of  faith  must  be 
established.  It  must  again  be  made  evident  that 
even  in  temporal  things  we  live  far  more  by  faith 
than  by  demonstration.  For  all  that  transcends 
the  senses  and  for  all  that  concerns  man's  highest 
interests,  we  are  shut  up  unto  faith.  Living  so 
largely  in  a  world  of  sense  as  the  present  genera- 
tion, men  find  faith  in  the  supernatural  extremely 
difficult,  and  it  almost  seems  a  miracle  to  some 
that  it  is  still  possible.  Only  its  inherent  necessity 
is  the  explanation  of  its  existence.  If  now  theo- 
logians leave  the  impression  that  they  fear  reason, 
they  greatly  increase  the  difficulties  of  faith  ;  sus- 
picion is  aroused  that  their  doctrines  cannot  bear 
candid  inquiry.  When  theologians  speak  dispar- 
agingly of  reason,  and  of  the  results  of  science 
which  are  afterwards  universally  accepted,  they 


RELIGION  AND  THEOLOGY.  109 

not  only  injure  themselves,  but  also  the  theology 
which  they  represent.  Still  deeper  and  broade^r  is 
the  effect  when  theological  tenets  are  actually 
overthrown,  as  the  revolution  of  the  sun  around 
the  earth  and  the  age  of  our  globe.  The  mind 
that  is  to  be  gained  must  not  be  abused.  Not  only 
is  the  reason  that  is  disparaged  likely  to  react 
and  become  supreme,  but  also  to  abstract  itself 
from  the  other  mental  powers,  and  to  make  itself 
the  sole  arbiter,  regardless  of  the  claims  of  the 
heart  and  the  will. 

In  modern  conflicts  theology  has  not  been  the 
only  sufferer.  Reason  has  lost  its  former  pres- 
tige, and  a  haughty  intellectuality  has  been  hum- 
bled. The  world,  which  by  wisdom  knew  not 
God,  has  also  learned  that  it  is  profoundly  ignorant 
even  of  human  and  natural  things.  Not  only  did 
the  critical  philosophy  show  the  inefficiency  of  the 
speculative  reason  respecting  transcendental  prob- 
lems, but  the  conflicts  of  the  century  have  also 
destroyed  confidence  in  the  ability  of  the  human 
mind  to  solve  any  of  the  great  problems  of  being. 

There  is  reason  for  agnosticism ;  whether  a 
sufficient  reason  is  another  matter.  Agnosticism 
is  the  end  of  thought's  inquiry  and  of  doubt's 
agony,  which  is  no  end,  but  only  a  new  beginning. 
You  can  tie  a  knot  in  the  thread  of  thought,  while 
the  thread  itself  cannot  be  cut  off  and  ended.  The 
course  of  theology,  as  well  as  the  trend  of  modern 
thought,  has  been  promotive  of  agnosticism.     In 


110  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH, 

universities,  seminaries  and  pulpits,  claims  to  the- 
ological certainty  were  made  which  could  not  be 
sustained,  and  absolute  knowledge  was  boasted  of 
where  faith  only  was  possible.  What  the  Christian 
knows  by  experience  the  world  is  not  able  to 
accept  as  knowledge,  simply  because  it  has  not 
had  the  experience,  and  so  the  world  has  misun- 
derstood believers.  The  speculations  based  on 
such  experience  seemed  visionary  to  those  whose 
world  of  experience  was  wholly  different.  And 
who  can  doubt  that  these  speculations  have  been 
carried  beyond  the  limits  of  intellectual  modesty  ? 
Theologians  have  treated  religion  too  much  as  if 
it  could  be  exhaustively  expressed  by  intellectual 
formulas.  Dogmas  were  put  for  doctrine,  doctrine 
for  faith,  creeds  for  piety,  and  theology  for  spirit- 
uality. A  standard  for  the  intellectual  apprehen- 
sion of  doctrine  was  made  the  test  of  religion.  A 
"rationalistic  orthodoxy,"  cold,  critical,  spiritless, 
and  dead,  was  made  the  measure  of  a  man's  ac- 
ceptance with  God!  This  became  intolerable  ;  all 
who  reflected  on  genuine  religion  felt  that  any 
intellectual  formula  requires  a  plus  and  a  minus, 
in  order  to  be  the  correct  expression  of  religion. 
Hence  the  deep  and  resolute  determination  to 
distinguish  between  religion  and  theology,  be- 
tween faith  and  its  intellectual  formulas.  It  now 
seems  monstrous  that  a  purely  intellectual  appre- 
hension could  ever  be  made  a  substitute  for  re- 
ligion, which  involves  the  whole  personality.     Too 


RELIGION  AND  THEOLOGY.  Ill 

long  has  faith  as  an  act  of  the  soul  been  confounded 
with  a  system  of  doctrines  in  which  faith  is  sup- 
posed to  believe.  The  age  pities  the  delusion  of  a 
man  who  presents  his  theology  as  his  religion  ; 
and  if  a  new  Kant  were  to  arise  and  offer  us  a 
religion  within  the  limits  of  pure  reason,  we  should 
decline  with  thanks,  and  inform  him  that  there  is 
no  religion  within  such  limits,  but  that  it  requires 
faith  and  heart  and  will,  as  well  as  reason. 

Theology  has  also  lost,  in  the  estimation  of  the 
age,  through  the  dogmatic  disputes  between  the 
different  sects  and  theological  schools.  Points 
which  men  of  large  mind  and  profound  thought 
could  only  regard  as  petty  in  comparison  with  the 
momentous  problems  of  the  age,  have  been  raised 
to  the  importance  of  denominational  characteristics 
and  made  conditions  for  entering  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  Nice  speculative  doctrinal  distinctions  of 
doubtful  validity  were  made  the  grounds  for  sec- 
tarian division ;  a  mere  form  of  government  was 
stamped  as  exclusively  divine  ;  a  question  of  ritual 
and  liturgy  was  made  the  test  of  fellowship,  if  not 
of  Christianity.  Non-essentials  were  magnified  as 
if  they  were  the  total  essence  of  religion.  All  this 
served  to  alienate  thinkers,  trained  amid  the  abso- 
lute verities  of  science  and  amid  the  fundamental 
problems  of  the  times.  Men  are  too  busy  and  life 
is  too  short  to  investigate  all  the  petty  points  made 
burning  questions  by  the  animosity  of  narrow  sects. 
Advocates   of  infidelity   arose,   who   exposed  the 


112  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

weak  points  of  the  contending  theologians,  used 
the  strongest  weapons  forged  in  the  name  of  sci- 
ence, philosophy,  and  criticism,  against  Christianity, 
and  did  their  utmost  to  prove  that  the  Christian 
dogmas  can  no  longer  claim  the  adherence  of  men 
of  culture.  This  is  a  common  view  among  the 
educated  classes  of  continental  Europe.  There  is 
a  tacit  understanding  in  certain  social  circles  that 
religion  is  not  to  be  discussed,  and  he  who  broaches 
the  subject  is  regarded  as  an  intruder.  In  various 
countries  the  open  hostility  to  theological  tenets  is 
not  so  pronounced  as  formerly,  partly  because  men 
are  weary  of  discussion,  partly  because  they  think 
all  has  been  said,  partly  because  religious  indif- 
ferentism  prevails,  and  some  think  that  disputes 
cannot  settle  the  problems. 

There  is  no  question  that  the  prevalent  doubt 
and  agnosticism  are  largely  due  to  intellectual 
conditions.  A  corrupt  heart  is  often  the  hot-bed 
of  infidelity,  and  men  in  the  folly  of  their  heart 
may  say,  "  There  is  no  God,"  when  they  say  it  only 
to  get  license  for  their  libertinism.  Faith  itself 
must  be  vitiated  if  its  essential  moral  conditions 
are  ignored.  But  at  the  same  time  we  must  freely 
and  fully  admit,  that  the  most  earnest  scholarship 
and  the  most  serious  moral  purpose  may  find  the 
way  to  faith  beset  with  difficulties. 

It  is  evident  that  the  prevalent  doubt  and  agnos- 
ticism are  not  final.  The  human  mind  cannot  rest 
in  them.     They  belong  to  our  age  as  a  transition 


RELIGION  AND  THEOLOGY.  113 

period.  Criticism  and  negations  may  be  evidence 
of  attainments  beyond  the  past,  but  they  may  also 
be  evidences  of  weakness,  because  not  able  to  get 
the  affirmations  and  positions  required  for  the 
future.  The  mind  agonizes  to  rise  on  its  doubts 
into  certainty.  This  is  the  meaning  of  pessimism, 
which  is  not  a  ghost  in  the  most  refined  and  most 
sensitive  circles,  but  an  awful,  despairing,  suicidal 
reality.  And  no  theory  or  practice,  so  long  as 
faith  is  absent,  can  ameliorate  this  horrible  real- 
ism. It  has  seriously  been  proposed  to  substitute 
the  ideals  of  religion  for  the  real  objects  of  faith, 
so  that  God  and  immortality  might  be  cherished  as 
empty  notions,  although  the  mind  is  aware  that 
no  reality  corresponds  with  them.  This  absurdity 
speculates  on  a  species  of  madness  which  has  not 
yet  become  general.  A  life  of  pleasure  has  been 
proposed  as  a  substitute  for  religion  ;  but  the  pros- 
pect of  death  makes  the  pleasure  ghastly.  Men 
have  been  exhorted  in  the  name  of  atheism  to  let 
high  earthly  aims  so  absorb  them  as  to  forget  the 
future.  But  when  religion  and  ethics  are  gone, 
when  man  is  made  a  brute,  and  the  brute  is  only 
breathing  matter,  it  is  impossible  to  find  exalted 
objects  and  worthy  aims. 

In  many  instances  the  religious  draught  has  in- 
creased the  spiritual  thirst.  Religious  novels  with 
skeptical  tendencies  would  have  no  attraction, 
were  it  not  for  their  religious  elements,  and  be- 
cause they  meet  in  some  measure  the  needs  of  the 


114  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

religious  instincts.  The  devastations  of  skepti- 
cism, which  emptied  the  souls  of  men,  have  also 
paved  the  way  to  Rome.  Men  reject  all  authority 
but  that  of  a  cold  intellectuality,  and  then  submit 
unconditionally  to  the  papacy.  Weary  of  their 
endless  inquiries  and  painful  doubts,  some  seem  to 
see  no  alternative  between  atheism  and  Rome, 
and  resolve  to  let  an  infallible  church  do  their 
thinking-  and  believing. 

But  with  all  the  skepticism  and  secularism  of 
the  day,  there  are,  as  we  have  seen,  many  re- 
ligious germs  outside  of  the  church,  which  the 
longings  of  the  heart  and  the  deeper  experiences 
of  life  cultivate.  Even  in  lands  where  doubt  has 
made  the  most  ruins,  the  funerals  and  tombstones 
are  not  the  only  witnesses  that  the  religious  ele- 
ment has  not  been  banished  from  skeptical  hearts  ; 
all  through  life  there  are  eloquent  testimonies 
that  it  is  only  in  God  that  the  soul  can  rest.  Re- 
ligious impulses  remain  where  the  definite  dogmas 
have  vanished.  We  are  fully  justified  in  affirming 
that  the  age  is  far  more  religious  than  dogmatic  or 
theological.  But  even  the  remains  of  religion  in 
the  world,  outside  of  the  church,  are  liable  to  be 
buried  under  secular  affairs  and  interests. 

The  church  thus  finds  unusual  difficulties  in 
leavening  the  world  with  the  Gospel.  The  intel- 
lectual demands  have  in  general  been  heightened, 
and  those  now  made  on  the  church  and  theology 
are  greater  than  ever.    Religious  thought  presented 


RELIGION  AND  THEOLOGY.  115 

to  men  of  the  world  finds  them  preoccupied,  dis- 
inclined to  consider  it,  prejudiced  against  it,  and 
armed  to  repel  its  demands.  But  peculiarly  hard 
as  the  religious  work  has  thus  become,  there  is  no 
ground  for  a  pessimistic  view.  Many  indications 
are,  in  fact,  favorable.  The  long  and  severe  con- 
flict has  made  the  real  needs  both  of  the  human 
heart  and  of  theology  more  clear.  The  problems 
have  been  deepened  and  made  more  definite,  and 
on  the  side  of  both  of  the  advocates  and  of  the 
antagonists  of  religion,  extremes  have  been  aban- 
doned as  untenable.  It  is  evident  now  that  re- 
ligion is  so  deeply  grounded  in  man's  nature,  and 
so  essential  to  his  being  and  welfare  that  it  is  here 
to  remain.  Theology  has  become  more  cautious  ; 
if  it  knows  less  than  formerly,  it  is  also  more  clear, 
more  exact,  and  more  thorough.  If  it  has  aban- 
doned some  positions,  it  has  fortified  others.  It 
has  gained  greatly  by  recognizing  itself  as  not 
isolated,  but  as  in  organic  connection  with  the 
other  departments  of  thought.  Beside  its  attain- 
ments, it  reveals  many  evidences  that  it  has  excel- 
lent conditions  for  future  growth.  Theology  has 
become  more  modest  respecting  intellectual  for- 
mulas, but  it  has  learned  to  place  more  emphasis 
on  love.  Theology  and  religion  have  been  made 
more  fully  self-conscious,  and  also  more  aware  of 
what  the  world  is  and  requires.  In  Germany  re- 
ligion has  made  gains  within  the  last  few  decades, 
so  that  after  a  long  descent  the  ascent  has  begun. 


116  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Religion  has  withstood  the  fiercest  and  most 
powerful  attacks  ever  made  against  it,  and  it  still 
lives  and  grows.  The  worst  onslaught  on  the  part 
of  materialistic  science,  and  of  a  pantheistic  and 
atheistic  philosophy,  seem  to  belong  to  the  past 
decades  rather  than  to  the  present  time.  Relig- 
ion has  had  time  to  recover  from  the  violence  of 
the  first  shock.  Destructive  forces  are  still  at 
work ;  but  in  America,  in  England,  and  on  the 
Continent,  the  opposition  is  neither  so  loud  nor  so 
violent  as  it  was ;  even  its  most  bitter  enemies 
have  learned  that  religion  is  deep  and  energetic, 
and  cannot  be  overcome  as  easil}^  as  they  imagined. 
Through  a  long  line  of  able  thinkers  theology  has 
been  more  and  more  adjusted  to  the  situation. 
The  end  is  by  no  means  yet ;  much  of  the  best 
Christian  thought  is  still  devoted  to  efforts  at 
harmonizing  theology  with  science,  philosophy, 
and  the  whole  of  modern  culture,  efforts  which  do 
not  meet  solely  with  mistakes  and  failing  on  one 
side,  and  only  truth  and  perfection  on  the  other. 
We  are  still  in  the  midst  of  religious  and  theologi- 
cal crises,  and  transformations  are  still  occurring. 
Respecting  many  subjects  the  age  is  moving  in  a 
twilight ;  some  think  it  the  twilight  which  ends 
the  day  and  precedes  the  night ;  but  we  believe 
that  we  see  in  the  twilight  the  dawn  which  ends 
the  night  and  ushers  in  the  day.  But  whether  it 
shall  be  the  night  or  the  day  depends  largely  on 
the  church,  on  whose  consideration  we  now  enter. 


THE  CHURCH.  117 


CHAPTER    V. 

The    Church. 

The   highest   claim   which   an}^  institution   can 
make,  is  to  affirm  itself  to  be  "the  house  of  God, 
which  is  the  church  of  the  living  God,  the  pillar 
and  ground  of  the  truth."     The  love  and  reverence 
of  the  Christian  for  such  an  institution  will  lead 
him  to  examine  earnestly  its  claim,  to  learn  whether 
it  corresponds  with  the  actually  existing  church. 
"The  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth"  trains  its 
sons  in  the  truth,  and  obliges  them  freely  to  speak 
their  well-matured  convictions  of  the  truth.     The 
suppression  of  such  convictions  may  have  its  rea- 
sons in  a  cowardly  spirit,  or  in  the  fear  that  the 
church  may  not  be  able  to  bear  honest  criticism. 
Men  with  strong  faith  in  the  church,  and  with  an 
earnest  desire  for  its  welfare,  are  likely  to  take 
counsel  of  their  duty  rather  than  of  their  fears.     A 
discussion  of  the  state  of  the  church  has  no  value, 
unless  it  is  perfectly  frank  and  honest.     If  in  some 
respects  this  chapter  is   a   criticism   rather  than 
merely  an  exposition,  the  explanation  is  found  in 
the  aim  to  learn  what  is  required  in  order  to  adapt 
the  church  to  the  age. 


118  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

The  church  as  part  of  the  age  is  affected  by  the 
characteristics  of  the  age,  and  in  turn  affects  them. 
The  church  in  the  age,  and  what  it  ought  to  be  to 
the  age,  is  the  object  of  our  inquiry. 

What  is  meant  by  the  church  ?  A  dogmatic 
definition  does  not  suit  our  practical  aim  ;  and  such 
general  views  of  the  church  as  the  congregation  of 
believers,  or  the  communion  of  saints,  are  not  ex- 
pressive of  the  reality  we  seek.  We  want  to  con- 
sider the  visible  church  as  it  lives  and  works  in 
the  age.  This  church  includes  the  whole  of  Chris- 
tendom, so  far  as  organized  into  congregations. 
But  Christendom  consists  of  churches,  not  of  a 
single  church,  so  that  church  history  is  obliged  to 
treat  of  different  churches,  as  the  Greek,  the  Ro- 
man Catholic,  and  the  Protestant. 

The  discussion  of  the  Greek  church  and  the 
times  would  have  little  significance  for  our  subject. 
That  church  in  general  is  so  extremely  conserva- 
tive, is  so  helplessly  tethered  to  the  past  and  to  its 
dogmatic  petrifactions,  and  is  so  limited  by  national 
and  political  considerations,  that  it  cannot  exert 
any  great  influence  on  the  prominent  movements 
which  are  characteristic  of  the  most  enlightened 
nations.  Even  in  the  Russian  church  there  are 
many  signs  of  life.  Sects  have  sprung  up  which 
have  occasioned  much  agitation  in  the  established 
church,  and  popular  writers  have  attempted  to 
adapt  religion  to  the  times,  or  to  undermine  it 
altogether.     The  masses  are,   in  their  way,  very 


THE  CHURCH.  119 

religious  ;  but  their  religion  is  often  a  conglomera- 
tion of  ignorance,  superstition,  prejudice,  bigotry, 
and  formality.  The  churches  are  largely  priestly 
institutions.  So  intimately  are  church  and  state 
connected,  that  conservatism  in  politics  also  means 
conservatism  in  religion.  Indeed,  Pan-Slavism  is 
religious  as  well  as  political,  and  has  been  well 
defined  as  orthodox,  autocratic,  and  national. 
There  are  hopes  that  the  Greek  church  will  undergo 
an  intellectual  and  spiritual  revival.  In  that  case 
it  will,  no  doubt,  have  religious  peculiarities  which 
may  be  of  value  to  the  age  at  large.  The  Russian 
empire,  now  so  imposing  on  account  of  its  massive- 
ness,  is  striving  to  take  its  place  among  the  leaders 
in  civilization ;  when  it  takes  this  place  its  church 
will  also  likely  become  a  powerful  factor  in  cul- 
ture. But  at  present  we  must  look  to  Greece  for 
the  most  hopeful  signs  of  religious  and  intellectual 
life  in  the  Greek  church.  But  this  life,  largely 
due  to  the  influence  of  German  Protestant  the- 
ology, cannot  be  said  to  affect  the  age  at  large. 

Very  different  from  the  Greek  is  the  position  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  church.  Not  only  is  it  the 
largest  church,  but  also  international.  Its  size,  its 
compact  unity,  its  severe  uniformity,  its  military 
organization  and  discipline,  and  its  perfect  control 
by  one  head,  give  it  an  ecclesiastical  power  and  a 
world-wide  influence  such  as  no  other  institution 
possesses.  Even  in  strongly  Protestant  countries, 
political    parties    and     governments    often   show 


120  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

a  greater  regard  for  Roman  Catholicism  than  for 
the  largest  or  the  state  church.  Thus  the  Roman 
Catholic  church  becomes  dominant  as  an  ecclesi- 
astical institution  and  political  power,  even  where 
it  is  in  the  minority.  In  Southern  Europe,  in 
Austria  and  Belgium,  in  Ireland,  South  America, 
and  Mexico,  no  other  church  disputes  its  supre- 
macy. Its  net  of  missionary  operations  encircles 
the  globe.  In  such  Protestant  countries  as  Ger- 
many, Holland,  Switzerland,  Great  Britain,  the 
United  States,  and  even  Scandinavia,  it  is  deter- 
mined to  overthrow  Protestantism,  and  cherishes 
the  hope  of  accomplishing  this  end.  An  especial 
study  is  required  in  order  to  appreciate  the  depth, 
the  intensity,  the  extent  and  the  determination,  of 
the  recent  revival  in  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 
The  spirit  of  the  revival  is  ultramontane  and 
Jesuitical,  the  Pope  is  proclaimed  ruler  of  the 
world,  the  church  is  exalted  above  the  state,  the 
papacy  is  heralded  as  the  only  authority  that  can 
meet  the  anarchy  of  socialism,  and  can  secure  the 
stability  of  governments,  and  an  infallible  ecclesi- 
asticism  is  offered  to  the  distracted,  agonized  world 
as  the  solver  of  all  doubts  and  the  haven  of  eternal 
rest. 

The  revival  is  most  marked  where  Protestantism 
prevails,  or  where  it  exerts  a  decided  influence  on 
Catholicism.  In  purely  Catholic  countries  the 
neglect  of  the  people  is  notorious ;  but  as  soon 
as   Protestant  missionaries  arrive,   the  church   is 


THE  CHURCH.  121 

aroused,  schools  are  established,  and  the  welfare 
of  the  people  professedly  becomes  the  great  con- 
sideration. It  seems  as  if  Catholicism  hardly  had 
within  itself  the  intellectual  energy  and  the  re- 
ligious inspiration  for  great  forward  movements, 
but  that  it  depends  for  these  upon  the  friction 
which  comes  from  Protestant  scholarship  and  life. 

While  mainly  conservative  and  largely  station- 
ary, like  the  Greek  church,  we  must  nevertheless 
regard  Catholicism  as  a  very  important  factor  in 
the  age.  It  has  revealed  unexpected  energy, 
proves  that  it  has  progressive  elements,  and  it 
manifests  an  adaptation  to  the  age  which  is  mar- 
velous. It  will  therefore  require  especial  consid- 
eration. That  is  not,  however,  the  church  on  which 
the  hopes  for  the  present  and  the  future  are 
centered  by  the  culture  or  the  leading  nations  of 
the  day.  The  freedom  demanded  is  not  there  ;  it 
has  not  the  intellectual  leadership ;  it  is  not  the 
controlling  religious  factor  in  the  lands  which  de- 
termine the  characteristics  of  the  age ;  and  even 
in  leading  Catholic  lands,  where  it  held  undisputed 
sway  for  ages,  it  has  lost  its  dominion,  namely,  in 
France  and  in  Italy. 

The  United  States,  Great  Britain,  and  Germany 
are  the  dominant  nations,  and  they  are  Protestant. 
The  science  and  philosophy  of  the  day,  and  the 
leadership  in  intellect,  belong  to  Protestantism. 
Besides,  Evangelical  Christianity  has  in  its  very 
principles  the  conditions  of  progress  and  of  adap- 


122  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

tation.  In  considering  the  church  and  the  times 
we  shall,  therefore,  first  of  all  have  to  take  the 
Protestant  church  into  account.  In  a  separate 
chapter  on  Protestantism  and  Catholicism,  we  shall 
be  able  to  give  a  general  idea  of  the  relation  of 
each  to  the  age. 

A  fair  estimate  of  present  Protestantism  is  diffi- 
cult. It  is  an  aggregation  of  churches  rather  than 
a  church,  and  what  is  true  of  one  denomination,  or 
one  locality,  may  not  be  equally  applicable  to 
others.  Respecting  details  the  opinions  are  likely 
to  vary  ;  but  with  regard  to  general  characteristics 
an  agreement  may  be  possible.  Especial  care  must 
be  taken  not  to  let  denominational  or  local  preju- 
dice, or  a  narrow  view  of  the  church  as  it  now  is, 
decide  the  standpoint  from  which  the  whole  is 
judged. 

In  numbers  and  efficiency  the  church  was,  per- 
haps, never  more  favorably  situated  than  to-day. 
In  many,  if  not  in  all,  respects  there  is  no  reason 
for  lamenting  that  the  good  old  times  are  past,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  our  times  are  better  than 
the  past.  But  this  does  not  make  the  church  rela- 
tively more  prominent  than  heretofore,  since,  as 
we  have  seen,  other  objects  have  attained  a  greater 
prominence  than  formerly,  and  the  church  may 
not  have  advanced  with  equal  rapidity.  Never 
were  the  demands  equal  to  the  present,  and  what 
was  success  in  the  past  might  in  our  day  be  failure. 
It  is  therefore  in  the  light  of  the  whole  age  that 


THE  CHURCH.  123 

the  church  must  be  considered.  Not  a  comparison 
with  the  past,  but  the  actual  condition  of  the  pres- 
ent is  our  aim. 

If  the  world  calls  this  the  century  of  natural 
science,  the  church  might  call  it  the  century  of 
missions.  This  one  department  alone  has  given 
the  church  new  life  and  new  inspiration.  Yet  it  is 
but  one  of  many  new  movements  in  the  religion 
of  the  times.  Bible  Societies,  Sunday  Schools, 
Christian  Associations  of  various  kinds,  Temper- 
ance Organizations,  and  similar  institutions,  have 
sprung  up  and  changed  the  character  of  the  re- 
ligious life.  These  are  subjects  for  congratulation 
and  are  full  of  encouragement,  but  they  are  no 
occasion  for  empty  boasting  or  vain  conceit  or 
satisfied  indolence.  Among  the  worst  signs  in  a 
church  is  the  tendency  to  dwell  on  success  and  to 
rest  in  it,  as  if  now  all  further  effort  might  cease. 
Not  less  reprehensible  is  the  disposition,  which  so 
glories  in  past  achievements,  that  even  the  truest 
criticism  is  denounced  as  hostility  to  the  church. 
A  healthy  state  is  one  of  full  self-consciousness, 
which  sees  the  true  condition  of  things,  and  avoids 
conceited  self-sufficiency,  as  well  as  despairing 
depreciation 

Protestantism  continues  to  be  a  protest ;  its 
strongest  protest  is  not,  however,  in  words  but  in 
character  and  deeds.  The  protest  is  still  needed 
against  the  enslavement  of  reason  and  conscience, 
and   against   thrusting  the  church  and  priest  as 


124  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

barriers  between  the  believer  and  God.  The  need 
of  the  protest  may  be  as  great  in  Protestantism  as 
any  where.  Are  reason  and  conscience  truly  free  ? 
Are  all  believers  kings  and  priests  unto  God  ?  Can 
each  believer  interpret  Scripture  for  himself? 
Were  protests  no  longer  necessary,  then  Protest- 
antism  would  also  cease,  since  its  mission  would 
have  been  accomplished. 

Not  in  what  it  forever  settled  is  the  glory  of  the 
Reformation,  but  in  that  it  showed  clearly  what 
was  to  be  settled  and  how  it  ought  to  be  settled. 
The  Reformation  did  not  free  men  ;  freedom  is  an 
ethical  process,  which  each  one  must  perform  for 
himself.  But  the  Reformation  demanded  freedom 
for  all,  showed  the  way  to  freedom,  and  thus  it 
helps  men  to  free  themselves.  The  past  has  not 
shoved  its  morality,  religion  and  theology  on  us 
and  made  them  our  possessions.  If  we  have  the 
same  as  the  past,  it  is  because  we  have  wrought 
them  out  for  ourselves,  and  have  wrought  them 
into  ourselves.  A  Pauline  faith  and  a  Johannine 
love  are  possible  only  to  such  as  have  an  inner 
spiritual  process,  like  that  of  Paul  and  of  John. 
Since  the  Reformers  help  us,  their  attainments 
should  be  easier  for  us  than  they  were  for  them- 
selves ;  and  for  that  reason  our  attainments  should 
transcend  theirs.  Protestantism  is  a  constant  ask- 
ing, seeking,  and  knocking ;  as  soon  as  it  rests 
in  a  victory  as  final,  and  ceases  with  Paul  to  press 
forward,  it  leaves  the  Pauline  basis  with  which  it 
started. 


THE  CHURCH.  135 

That  the  Reformers  opened  up  all  subjects  to  a 
free  and  full  Christian  examination,  and  then  made 
their  own  views  an  exception,  is  incredible.  Such 
a  claim  would  inestimably  degrade  the  Reforma- 
tion, and  no  free  man  could  respect  its  authors. 
Has  the  history  of  religion,  of  the  inquisition,  of 
Jesuitism  a  more  despicable  chapter  than  that  of 
men  who  destroyed  the  authority  of  the  fathers, 
the  popes,  and  the  church,  for  the  sake  of  estab- 
lishing their  own  infallibility?  Is  the  German 
proverb  true,  that  the  Roman  Catholics  have  but 
one  pope,  but  that  the  Lutherans  have  a  pope  in 
each  pastor  ? 

The  world  was  flooded  with  Luther  literature 
in  1883,  the  four  hundredth  anniversary  of  the 
Reformer's  birth.  The  anniversary  was  a  great 
eulogy.  The  reaction  came  speedily.  The  defects 
in  the  life  and  work  of  Luther,  which  were  omitted 
by  Protestants,  have  been  supplied  and  magnified 
by  Catholics.  Janssen  has  heaped  up  accusations 
against  the  Reformers  and  their  work,  and  his  his- 
tory is  a  mine  which  others  quarry  in  order  to 
bring  its  metal  and  mud  before  the  world.  Luther 
is  treated  by  ultramontane  writers  as  the  climax 
of  baseness  and  iniquity,  and  even  the  old  slander 
that  he  ended  his  life  in  suicide  has  been  revived. 
Extreme  begets  extreme,  but  two  extremes  may 
also  beget  the  truth.  Protestant  writers  freely  and 
more  candidly  than  Catholics  criticize  the  Refor- 
mation.    Here  the  demand  for  historic  realism  is 


126  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

imperative,  and  the  whole  truth  will  be  known. 
The  principles  of  the  Reformers,  their  doctrines, 
their  polity,  and  their  practices  are  all  alike  thrown 
open  to  the  world  for  inspection,  for  frank  criti- 
cism, for  honest  acceptance  or  as  honest  rejection, 
for  modification  and  for  development.  As  conver- 
sion may  be  sudden,  and  yet  but  the  beginning  of 
a  life  whose  process  of  conversion  is  continuous: 
so  the  Reformation  was  but  the  beginning  of  a 
process,  whose  reformatory  work  can  cease  only 
with  the  church  itself.  A  reformation  which  ends 
has  never  truly  begun  ;  if  genuine,  it  is  the  intro- 
duction of  an  ever-growing  seed  and  continuously 
working  leaven. 

The  Reformation  is  therefore  a  period  to  start 
from,  not  an  era  in  which  to  anchor  the  church. 
Not  what  it  was  in  its  day  gives  the  Reformation 
its  value,  but  what  of  its  spirit  and  truth  and  life 
are  living  and  working  factors  in  our  day.  Its 
present  reality  is  the  criterion  of  its  present  value. 

Beyond  the  popes,  beyond  the  councils,  beyond 
the  existing  church,  to  Christ  and  to  Scripture: 
that  was  the  cry  and  the  meaning  of  the  Reforma- 
tion. The  Reformation  was  a  John  the  Baptist, 
leading  back  to  the  Messiah  who  had  come,  but  had 
been  obscured.  What  a  monstrous  perversion  to 
stop  with  the  Baptist  instead  of  being  led  by  him 
to  Christ,  who  gives  the  Baptist  himself  all  his  sig- 
nificance !  The  Protestantism  of  to-day  must  be 
tested  by  its  ability  to  pass  over  the  Reformation, 


THE  CHURCH.  127 

as  a  bridge,  to  the  Bible  and  to  Christ.  How  com- 
mon to  treat  mere  means  as  the  end  itself  ! 

Many  think  presumptuous  the  claim,  that  the 
church  of  to-day  ought  to  be  in  advance  of  the 
church  at  the  birth  of  Protestantism.  Did  then 
the  Reformers  produce  a  still-born  church  ?  Did 
they  so  reform  the  church  that  death,  instead  of 
life  and  growth,  was  the  result  ?  Then  the  Refor- 
mation was  a  Dead  Sea,  not  a  fountain  whence 
issued  a  living  stream.  If  that  great  revival  made 
the  church  conscious  of  its  ever-expanding  life, 
and  gave  it  the  impulse  and  conditions  to  expand 
that  life,  then  such  as  have  not  progressed  beyond 
the  Reformation,  or  have  not  even  attained  its 
standpoint,  should  blush  to  call  themselves  chil- 
dren of  the  Reformation. 

Reverence  for  Luther,  Calvin,  Zwingli,  Knox, 
and  the  whole  host  of  glorious  Reformers,  does 
not  require  that  they  be  made  idols  and  their 
admirers  superstitious  idolaters.  The  worst  ene- 
mies of  the  Reformers  are  their  blind  followers, 
who  are  not  their  true  followers,  but  deny  the 
very  principles  which  make  their  work  so  grand. 
It  is  time  to  say  as  emphatically  as  language  can, 
that  those  who  let  the  reformers,  or  any  other 
purely  human  authority,  do  the  thinking  and  be- 
lieving for  them  are  not  Protestants,  and  that  they 
would  need  another  Reformation,  if  there  were 
any  hope  that  they  could  be  delivered  from  their 
papacy.     The  Reformers'  act  of  freedom  was  not 


128  772^^'  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

for  them.  "  Who  then  is  Paul,  and  who  is  Apollos, 
but  ministers  by  whom  ye  believed,  even  as  the 
Lord  gave  to  every  man  ?"  Concentrate  into  one 
focus  the  grand  work  of  the  Reformers,  and  it 
means,  "  Therefore  let  no  man  glory  in  men.  For 
all  things  are  yours  ;  whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or 
Cephas,  or  the  world,  or  life,  or  death,  or  things 
present,  or  things  to  come  ;  all  are  yours  ;  and  ye 
are  Christ's  ;   and  Christ  is  God's." 

Human  reformers,  and  founders  of  denomina- 
tions, were  so  mighty  because  they  dared  to  inves- 
tigate, to  criticize,  and  to  combine  conservative 
with  revolutionary  principles,  and  thus  to  promote 
true  progress.  To  future  generations  their  watch- 
word was,  *'Go  and  do  likewise."  They  gave  doc- 
trines as  guideboards,  not  as  a  wayside  on  which 
living  truth  was  to  be  trampled  under  foot.  They 
did  not  hurl  a  corpse  of  divinity  at  the  Christian, 
but  they  led  him  to  the  fountain  of  living  truth. 
Not  a  lawless  subjectivity,  but  respect  for  divine 
authority  as  normative  was  their  guide.  They 
freed  men  from  men  by  making  them  dependent 
on  God  ;  they  wanted  no  school  but  that  of  Christ, 
no  followers  of  themselves  but  followers  of  the 
Lord.  They  had  the  courage  to  look  into  the 
unveiled  face  of  truth,  and  to  speak  the  truth, 
though  the  church  itself  cursed  as  bitterly  as  did 
the  spiritual  authorities  in  the  days  of  Christ. 

To  be  like  the  Reformers  means  to  have  the 
same  spirit,  the  same  love  of  the  truth,  and  the 


THE  CHURCH.  139 

same  truthfulness  in  the  expression  of  honest  con- 
viction. This  is  more  than  a  mere  negation  ;  it  is 
very  positive.  That  this  spirit  will  lead  into  the 
great  essentials  of  the  Reformation  is  self-evident ; 
but  it  can  never  lead  into  slavery.  If  in  their  in- 
quiries and  convictions  the  children  of  the  Reform- 
ers cannot  be  as  free  as  the  Reformers  themselves, 
then  are  they  unworthy  children  and  a  disgrace  to 
their  fathers. 

The  Reformation  has  taught  us  to  tell  the  truth. 
But  what  is  the  truth  respecting  the  Reformation 
itself  ?  It  could  not  possibly  do  the  work  of  our 
age  ;  but  because  it  did  so  admirably  the  work  of 
its  own  age,  it  prepared  the  way  for  our  generation 
to  do  its  own  work.  With  a  reverence  for  the  Re- 
formers, bounded  only  by  the  conviction  of  the 
truth,  we  say  frankly  that  the  marvelous  revival 
of  the  sixteenth  century  is  without  a  parallel  in 
Christian  history  since  apostolic  times.  The  new 
spiritual  life  broke  the  fetters  of  tradition  ;  and 
where  that  revival  has  not  spent  its  force,  it  still 
breaks  the  fetters  of  tradition.  But  the  Reformers 
were  severely  limited  by  the  limits  of  their  age. 
Not  since  Paul's  day,  we  are  convinced,  has  there 
been  such  an  insight  into  divine  things  as  they 
reveal,  particularly  Luther,  whose  insight  at  times 
looks  like  spiritual  intuition.  But  shall  that  induce 
us  to  belie  that  age  and  the  Reformers  ?  Had  they 
the  purest  and  best  text  of  Scripture  ?  Were  the 
great  manuscripts  known  and  had  they  been  col- 
9 


130  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

lated  ?  Where  was  textual  criticism  ?  Were  the 
languages  of  the  Bible  and  their  cognates  under- 
stood as  now  ?  The  Reformation  really  only  be- 
gan the  great  work  of  modern  exegesis.  With 
the  growth  of  the  ages,  the  knowledge  of  Scrip- 
ture has  deepened  and  broadened,  each  preceding 
age  being  the  means  of  making  brighter  the  light 
of  succeeding  ones. 

The  Reformers  began  to  emerge  from  the  scho- 
lasticism of  the  middle  ages,  and  the  process  is 
not  yet  completed.  As  men  who  escape  from  the 
burning  have  the  smell  of  fire,  so  the  Reformers 
had  the  effects  of  scholasticism  upon  them. 
Church  history  was  little  known  in  the  Refor- 
mation. The  fathers,  the  councils,  the  doctrines 
of  the  past,  were  imperfectly  understood.  The 
history  of  dogmas  was  still  in  the  future.  Prim- 
itive Christianity  was  largely  in  the  dark  ;  even  at 
present  it  is  full  of  unsolved  problems,  though 
now  a  subject  of  profoundest  investigation.  Plato 
and  Aristotle  were  known  only  through  imperfect 
scholastic  sources,  and  the  most  confused  notions 
prevailed  respecting  their  real  character.  Modern 
philosophy  was  still  unborn,  and  ages  had  to  pass 
before  modern  science  was  so  much  as  defined. 

The  world  of  the  Reformers  was  totally  different 
from  ours,  and  their  view  of  the  universe  it  would 
be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  for  us  to  conceive. 
All  efforts  to  tether  the  present  to  that  period  must 
and  ought  to  be  a  lamentable  failure.    Superstitions 


THE  CHURCH.  131 

abounded.  A  harshness  of  judgment  respecting 
dissenting  doctrines  prevailed,  a  coarseness  and 
brutality  in  controversy,  and  a  spirit  of  persecution, 
which  can  be  understood  at  that  period,  but  which, 
if  prevalent  now,  would  deserve  the  severest  cen- 
sure. Princes  were  made  rulers  of  the  church, 
which  was  treated  as  part  of  the  political  machin- 
ery ;  and  the  secular  prince,  no  matter  what  his 
character,  decided  and  persecuted  the  faith  of  his 
subjects,  as  he  saw  fit. 

Even  during  the  Reformation  doctrinal  petrifac- 
tions began  which  threatened  the  very  life  of  the 
Reformed  churches.  Philosophical  dogma  was  put 
for  Scriptural  truth,  doctrinal  statement  took  the 
place  of  faith,  and  scholasticism  was  substituted 
for  religion,  so  that  the  emotional  and  practical 
elements  of  religion,  and  the  rights  and  liberties 
of  believers,  were  endangered  and  in  many  cases 
actually  destroyed.  Reactionary  movements  began 
which  reverted  to  the  spirit  and  principles  of  the 
papacy,  which  produced  schism,  so  that  the  church 
was  split  into  wrangling,  persecuting,  and  cursing 
factions ;  the  way  was  prepared  for  the  success  of 
Jesuitism  ;  many  of  the  best  fruits  of  the  Reforma- 
tion were  destroyed  by  their  inheritors ;  and  a 
one-sided  intellectualism  was  promoted,  which 
needed  but  development  in  order  to  end  in  cold 
rationalism.  A  dead  ''rationalistic  orthodoxy" 
actually  usurped  the  glories  of  the  Reformation. 

These  are  not   Catholic   perversions ;  they   are 


132  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

facts  which  Protestant  scholarship  has  brought  to 
light,  and  which  Protestant  truthfulness  refuses  to 
question  or  conceal.  They  are  perversions  for 
which  the  Protestant  principles  are  not  to  blame, 
but  which  are  due  to  the  fact  that  those  who  had 
just  come  from  the  papacy  were  not  at  once  pre- 
pared for  the  great  privileges  into  which  they 
were  ushered.  But  now  to  hide  these  things  until 
those  who  hate  Protestantism  bring  them  to  light 
and  use  them  for  the  glory  of  Rome — that  is  a 
crime  against  which  every  true  Protestant  must 
protest. 

We  rejoice  in  the  reformers,  because  they  planted 
a  seed  whose  fruit  is  of  greatest  value  to  our  age  ; 
but  tares  were  also  sown,  and  they,  too,  have 
grown.  That  our  age  could  not  even  be  known 
in  the  sixteenth  century  and  could  not  be  provided 
for  then,  ought  to  be  self-evident.  Religion,  the- 
ology, and  the  church  are  in  a  different  position  ; 
new  problems  have  arisen,  and  a  new  era  in 
thought,  in  politics,  in  society,  in  industries,  and 
in  interests  generally  has  dawned  and  requires 
new  adaptations.  The  Reformation  is  the  begin- 
ning, but  neither  the  end  nor  the  limit  of  Protest- 
antism. 

Not  only  do  we  live  at  a  time  when  all  things 
are  becoming  new  ;  but  we  are  actually  in  a  new 
world.  But  while  the  age  has  been  moving  on 
with  remarkable  rapidity,  the  church  has  been  too 
stationary.      Christians  have   viewed   the  present 


THE  CHURCH.  133 

g-eneration  as  an  estuary,  into  which  history  made 
its  deposits,  while  it  is  really  a  fountain  whence  a 
new  stream  is  to  issue.  Our  era  teems  with  such 
weighty  problems  and  our  task  is  so  great,  because 
the  past  has  done  so  much.  The  harvests  grown 
throughout  the  ages  can  be  ours  only  if  we  reap 
them  ;  and  the  greater  the  harvest  we  reap,  the 
more  seed  we  get  for  future  sowing,  and  the  greater 
our  responsibility. 

Here  is  one  of  our  most  serious  difficulties  :  what 
is  merely  given  to  us  as  a  problem  for  solution  is 
treated  as  a  solution  finished  for  all  ages ;  what 
was  given  the  church  of  every  age  to  do  for  itself, 
is  regarded  as  absolutely  and  finally  done  by  the 
Reformation.  The  Reformation  says,  with  the 
apostle,  ''All  things  are  yours."  We  read  this, 
and  glory  in  the  great  universe  unlocked  by  a 
divine  key,  and  rejoice  in  the  impulse  the  Refor- 
mation gave  to  enter  this  universe  and  make  it 
ours  ;  and  then  we  go  and  limit  our  faith  to  a 
Luther,  a  Zwingli,  a  Calvin,  a  Knox,  a  Wesley! 
We  become  the  slaves  of  men,  and  yet  profess  to  be- 
lieve the  apostle  when  he  says,  "Who  then  is  Paul, 
and  who  is  Apollos,  but  ministers  by  whom  ye 
believed,  even  as  the  Lord  gave  to  every  man  ? " 
Believers  stop  with  the  Reformation  ;  and  yet  its 
sole  value  consists  in  the  fact  that  it  leads  through 
and  beyond  itself  to  primitive  Christianity. 

Protestant  in  theory  and  Roman  Catholic  in 
practice  describes  a  large  part  of  the  Protestantism 


134  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

of  to-day.  It  is  a  theory  that  Scripture  is  free,  and 
that  reason  and  conscience  and  faith  are  free  ;  and 
in  many  instances  the  theory  is  constantly  denied 
in  practice.  A  man  is  perfectly  free  to  interpret 
the  Bible  for  himself,  provided  that  free  interpre- 
tation brings  him  into  perfect  harmony  with  his 
church.  There  are  little,  narrow  Protestant  sects 
in  which  there  is  far  less  room  for  free  movement 
than  in  the  large  Roman  Catholic  church.  There 
is  a  false  Protestantism,  which  every  positive 
Evangelical  Christian  must  oppose  in  the  name 
and  interest  of  true  Protestantism.  If  we  cannot 
practice  the  freedom  we  profess,  then,  like  honest 
men,  we  ought  to  say  so.  What  a  significant  fact 
that  there  are  circles,  in  which  a  man  cannot  claim 
that  freedom  which  Christ  gives  and  the  Reforma- 
tion proclaims,  without  at  once  exciting  the  sus- 
picion that  he  is  not  orthodox!  "  Prove  all  things  ; 
hold  fast  that  which  is  good,"  is  admitted  to  be  an 
excellent  theory  ;  bt:t  he  who  honestly  practices  it, 
does  so  at  the  risk  of  his  denominational  standing. 
The  good  to  be  held  fast  is  often  interpreted  to 
mean  what  is  good  for  the  sect. 

These  are  facts,  and  every  student  of  history 
and  of  the  present  knows  that  they  are  facts. 
Why  then  not  freely  and  fully  state  them  ?  Noth- 
ing but  truth  is  eternal ;  and  from  the  pearl  of 
truth,  which  the  prejudice  of  one  age  hides,  another 
age  will  wash  away  the  mire  and  dirt.  All  the 
glory  of  the  Reformation  vanishes,  all  its  principles 


THE  CHURCH.  135 

are  a  lie,  if  that  Reformation  freed  the  mind  and 
freed  Scripture,  and  then  laid  a  track  on  which 
thought  must  inevitably  run  to  that  goal  of  human 
authority,  which  is  stamped  as  absolute  and  final 
in  the  name  of  a  Reformer,  So  far  has  the  dis- 
graceful process  of  this  miserable  new  papacy 
gone  that  Reformer  is  pitted  against  Reformer, 
and  the  work  of  the  one  is  used  to  destroy  the 
other,  instead  of  using  all  they  did  to  lead  back  to 
Christ.  Thus  a  sectarianism  worthy  of  a  licentious 
and  heathen  Corinth  has  become  a  curse  to  Protes- 
tantism, a  curse  which  is  actually  withering  the 
fairest  fields  of  Evangelical  Christianity. 

This  state  of  things  is  promoted  especially  by 
the  theological  education.  It  is  more  free  in  Ger- 
many than  any  where  else,  the  theological  profes- 
sors being  appointed  by  the  state,  not  by  the 
church.  This  appointment  is  one  of  the  evils  of 
the  union  of  church  and  state,  but  it  secures  a  free- 
dom found  nowhere  else.  The  professor  is  bound 
by  no  party ;  the  creeds  are  regarded  as  valuable 
historic  documents,  but  subject  to  the  same  criti- 
cism as  other  historic  remains.  For  his  divinity 
the  professor  goes  directly  to  Scripture,  examining 
it  candidly  in  the  light  of  all  the  aids  that  Christian 
theology,  science,  philosophy,  and  histoty  can  give 
him.  The  goal  he  is  to  reach  is  not  fixed  for  him 
beforehand  ;  that  must  be  left  to  his  own  free  in- 
quiry. From  the  living  Word  he  tries  to  construct 
his  system  of  theology — his  in  the  true  sense,  and 


136  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

yet  biblical.  That  at  least  is  the  theory  and  is 
honestly  accepted  as  the  practical  rule.  If  a  man 
has  more  light  next  year  than  this,  he  walks  in  the 
better  light,  not  in  the  old  darkness.  His  consis- 
tency demands  that  when  the  truth  is  discovered, 
it  shall  take  the  place  of  error,  and  his  motto  is, 
that  what  is  good  is  the  enemy  of  what  is  better. 

Where  this  spirit  prevails  the  students  are 
treated  as  free  beings,  who  must  construct  their 
theology  for  themselves.  In  different  universities, 
with  the  same  state  church,  or  even  in  the  same 
university,  they  can  hear  different  views.  They 
are  directed  and  helped  in  forming  their  theologi- 
cal tenets  ;  no  vain  attempt  is  made  to  do  for  them 
the  work  which  they  can  do  only  for  themselves. 
Errors  of  course  arise  and  work  disastrously  ;  but 
even  error  and  the  discussions  it  produces  are 
promotive  of  truth.  And  a  sublime  confidence  in 
the  truth  prevails,  a  genuine  faith  being  sure  that 
the  light  will  always  cause  darkness  to  flee. 

Whoever  has  lived  in  German  schools  and  the- 
ologies knows  how  far  they  are  from  perfection. 
But  it  is  true  that  the  most  eager  and  advanced 
theological  students,  preachers,  and  professors 
come  from  other  countries  to  enjoy  their  freedom. 
Some  in  the  agony  of  doubt  long  for  perfectly  free 
investigation  ;  they  feel  that  on  this  their  spiritual 
life  and  peace  depend.  Strange,  that  from  the 
lands  most  free  it  should  be  deemed  the  especial 
glory  of  Germany  that  there  truth  is  free,  and  that 


THE  CHURCH.  137 

there  thought  is  free  in  its  honest  search  after 
truth!  As  if  this  were  not  the  case  wherever 
Protestantism  prevails! 

The  church  of  the  age  is  largely  the  product 
of  the  theological  education  of  the  age.  Open 
secrets  ought  to  be  freely  expressed.  Even  the 
pew  is  protesting,  and  that  most  emphatically, 
that  the  pulpit  lacks  most  essential  elements  to 
adapt  it  to  the  times,  and  the  source  of  the  fault  is 
found  mainly  in  the  theological  training.  In  Ger- 
many these  complaints  are  as  loud  as  any  where 
else,  though  in  some  respects  peculiar.  In  all 
lands  there  is  complaint  that  the  theological  semi- 
naries do  not  fit  directly  enough  for  the  pulpit. 
Students  are  frequently  trained  in  the  past  and  for 
the  past,  and  then  find  themselves  unfit  for  the 
present.  Preachers  from  seminaries  pronounced 
the  best  declare,  that  they  have  no  hope  that  the 
theological  institutions  will  understand  the  age 
and  meet  its  demands.  These  are  voices  of  men 
who  love  the  church,  but  who  also  understand 
something  of  the  demands  of  the  times. 

Specialists  are  found  in  the  pew  who  of  course 
know  more  of  their  specialty  than  the  preacher. 
But  the  pew  also  enters  the  specialty  of  the  pulpit. 
Scientists  enter  the  domains  of  design  and  mira- 
cles. The  laity  read  Strauss,  Renan,  and  the 
theories  of  Wellhausen.  The  pulpit  dare  not  spec- 
ulate on  the  ignorance  of  its  hearers.  Robert 
Ellsmere  appears,  and  what  should  be  familiar  to 


138  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

every  preacher  is  received  as  a  startling  novelty ; 
theories  of  the  past  are  presented,  and  those  who 
ought  to  be  versed  in  theology  do  not  know  that 
criticism  has  gone  beyond  these  theories  and  left 
them  behind.  The  standpoint  of  the  book,  and 
the  attitude  of  theologians  toward  it,  are  such  that 
Professor  Beyschlag  of  Halle  indignatly  exclaims 
that  the  only  explanation  of  the  phenomenon  is 
this:   ^''  England  has  no  theology'' 

Too  much  of  the  theology  in  different  lands  is  a 
relic,  not  a  life.  The  theological  training  is  anti- 
quated. Students  are  forced  into  narrow  grooves 
and  are  run  into  ruts,  in  which  they  stick.  The 
education  must  be  denominational,  otherwise  the 
denomination  is  in  danger  of  losing  its  men!  In- 
ferior schools  are  pronounced  the  best  in  the  world  ; 
and  a  man  who  dares  to  go  outside  of  his  church 
in  order  to  get  the  best  theological  thought  of  the 
world  is  suspected  of  being  a  traitor.  Views  not 
of  the  denomination  are  presented  only  for  refuta- 
tion ;  and  truth  is  valued  in  proportion  as  it  suits 
sectarian  purposes. 

Against  this  course  a  decided  reaction  is  in  pro- 
cess, both  in  the  church  and  in  the  institutions  them- 
selves. Young  men  of  energy  and  resoluteness, 
eager  for  pure  truth  and  the  whole  truth,  declare 
that  they  have  been  unfairly  dealt  with.  They 
feel  that  their  faith  has  been  minimized,  and  that 
they  have  been  defrauded  for  life  ;  and  they  in- 
sist that  others  shall  not  be  wronged  a*s  they  have 
been. 


THE  CHURCH.  139 

One  need  but  look  fairly  at  these  things  to  see 
how  sadly  the  church  is  in  many  places  behind  the 
age.  Some  are  convinced  that  it  gives  a  stone  for 
bread,  a  scorpion  for  a  fish.  Creeds  whose  original 
intent  is  doubtful,  and  whose  doctrines  are  in  dis- 
pute, absorb  the  attention  of  theologians,  when 
aside  from  these  theologians,  neither  the  church 
nor  the  world  thinks  it  worth  while  to  read  the 
creeds.  Creeds  which  once  were  the  faith  of 
churches  have  now  degenerated  to  the  means  of 
keeping  up  the  organization  of  the  church.  What 
was  once  the  actual  faith  has  become  an  unmean- 
ing symbol  of  faith.  Catechisms  are  forced  upon 
innocent  children,  with  doctrines  and  statements 
so  difficult,  that  theologians  and  philosophers  can- 
not understand  them.  The  fathers  did  it;  ergo, 
we  must  do  it. 

What's  in  a  name  ?  Perhaps  an  entire  system  ; 
or  at  least  what  is  deemed  most  essential,  and  de- 
serves especial  prominence  and  greatest  culture. 
The  name  is  supposed  to  give  the  essence  of  a 
thing.  And  the  names  of  our  denominations? 
Lutheran — the  name  of  a  Reformer  who  protested 
vehemently  against  the  attachment  of  his  name  to 
a  church,  which  should  be  only  Christ's.  And  in 
Germany,  the  original  home  of  that  church,  the 
official  designation  is  not  Lutheran,  but  Evangeli- 
cal. At  first  applied  as  a  stigma,  it  afterward 
became  an  honored  designation.  But  the  bride 
takes  the  name  of  the  bridegroom  in  a  legal  mar- 


140  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

riage.  The  term  Lutheran  makes  what  should  be 
divine  too  human,  and  it  implies  that  Luther  is  to 
be  followed  where  Christ  should  be  the  only  leader. 
Hence  the  name  has  been  used  to  tether  the  church 
to  Luther,  to  make  it  a  bigoted  sect,  to  oppose 
progress,  and  to  abuse  all  who  in  the  spirit  of 
Luther  went  beyond  Luther.  Still  it  also  includes 
many  who  claim  the  freedom  of  the  Reformation 
for  the  sake  of  a  progressive,  forward  movement. 

Is  the  term  Calvinist  any  better  ?  Or  the  term 
Arminian?  Or  Wesleyan?  Can  the  man  who 
freely  stands  in  Christ  accept  them  without  mental 
reservation?  And  if  one  honestly  accepts  the 
term,  must  he  not  be  free  to  reject  it  so  soon  as  he 
transcends  its  limits  ? 

Perhaps  still  less  fortunate  is  the  designation  of 
a  church  from  the  form  of  government,  as  if  that 
were  the  essential  thing.  Such  a  designation  was 
natural,  so  long  as  a  particular  form  of  govern- 
ment was  regarded  as  of  divine  origin  and  of  ex- 
clusive authority.  But  Christian  scholars  admit 
that  no  form  of  government  has  exclusive  Scrip- 
tural authority,  and  that  the  Christian  spirit  and 
truth  ought  to  develop  their  own  form,  according 
to  the  growth,  the  peculiarities,  and  the  needs  of 
the  ages. 

The  terms  Episcopal,  Presbyterian,  Congrega- 
tional, represent  nothing  but  forms  of  government. 
Can  any  one  claim  that  they  indicate  any  thing 
essential?      The  Methodist  church  may  be  Epis- 


THE  CHURCH.  141 

copal,  as  well  as  the  Anglican  ;  the  Greek  church 
is  Episcopal,  so  is  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  and 
so  is  the  Lutheran  church  in  Scandinavia.  Why 
could  not  Mormonism  be  Presbyterial  ?  Unitarians 
can  and  do  become  Congregational.  Designations 
really  insignificant,  or  at  least  secondary,  receive 
an  importance  which  gives  them  undue  promi- 
nence in  Christian  thought  and  life. 

Other  names,  as  Methodist  and  Baptist,  simply 
exalt  into  especial  prominence  a  particular  method 
or  rite.  The  method  which  gave  Methodism  its 
name  is  in  many  Methodist  churches  no  longer 
emphasized.  In  what  sense  then  are  they  Metho- 
dist ?  One  must  study  the  history  of  the  church 
to  know  its  meaning.  ''  Baptist "  exalts  a  rite  as 
if  it  were  the  essence  of  the  church,  and  thus  it  is 
treated  as  if  the  very  heart  of  religion. 

Even  "Protestant"  stands  for  a  mere  negation, 
and  hence  has  repeatedly  been  appropriated  by 
bald  rationalism  in  its  protests  against  cherished 
doctrines  of  Scripture.  "  Christian  "  and  "  Evan- 
gelical" really  designate  what  the  Reformation 
aimed  at ;  but  these  terms  have  also  been  robbed 
of  their  original  meaning  to  suit  sectarian  pur- 
poses, or  have  been  made  vague  and  indefinite. 
"Independent"  and  "Nonconformist"  have  his- 
toric rather  than  present  value  ;  they  are  negative, 
reveal  no  positive  content,  and  yet  the  age  urgently 
demands  what  is  positive  and  has  a  transforming 
energy. 


142  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

All  the  sectarian  names  are  inadequate,  they 
make  a  wrong  impression,  standing  for  something 
that  no  longer  exists,  and  failing  to  designate 
something  that  does  exist.  The  churches  are 
more,  greater,  than  their  names  designate.  They 
have  become  men  and  still  wear  the  clothes  of 
their  childhood. 

Denominations  are  often  denounced  as  an  un- 
mitigated curse.  But  that  ignores  their  historic 
origin,  and  the  honesty  of  the  conviction  and  the 
right  of  the  protest  which  led  to  their  origin. 
Why  not  let  Abraham  and  Lot  separate  peaceably, 
if  they  must  quarrel  when  they  live  together? 
Denominationalism  does  not  imply  greater  diver- 
sity than  may  exist  in  a  single  church.  Different 
denominations  may  be  more  truly  united  than  are 
the  various  parties  in  the  English  and  German 
state  churches. 

Not  the  fact  of  difference  of  view  is  reprehen- 
sible, if  the  fundamentals  are  accepted  ;  this  differ- 
ence belongs  to  Christian  liberty  and  to  the  rights 
of  the  Christian  personality.  The  denominations 
may  be  but  the  means  for  furnishing  the  various 
types  of  Christianity  the  best  opportunity  for  ex- 
pression and  development.  Between  a  mechanical, 
external  uniformity  and  a  free  denominationalism, 
the  latter  is  undoubtedly  preferable. 

But  while  under  the  circumstances  when  they 
were  formed  the  denominations  were  justifiable, 
that  does  not  necessarily  justify  them  now.     So 


THE  CHURCH.  143 

long  as  the  view  prevailed  that  all  must  have  ex- 
actly the  same  dogmas,  and  that  the  slightest 
difference  is  ground  for  schism,  we  do  not  see  how 
sects  could  be  avoided;  indeed,  we  cannot  see 
how  the  process  of  dissection  can  ever  stop  where 
men  are  at  all  free  and  think  for  themselves. 
Where  difference,  however  slight,  receives  the 
emphasis,  it  becomes  the  nucleus  of  thought  and 
feeling,  overshadows  all  points  of  agreement,  and 
makes  division  inevitable.  Now,  however,  many 
emphasize  that  which  unites  believers,  and  the 
tendency  to  Christian  union  is  growing.  All 
Christians  are  admitted  to  be  one  ;  how  else  can 
they  be  Christians  ? 

There  is  no  doubt  that  at  present  the  work  of 
Christ  can,  in  many  cases  at  least,  be  best  done 
through  denominational  channels.  But  no  one 
honestly  believes  that  Christ  is  the  Founder  of 
a  narrow  sect.  That  belittles  Christianity  too 
much,  as  well  as  its  Lord.  It  is  not  necessary  in 
order  to  insure  the  death  of  narrow  denomination- 
alism  to  devote  one's  life  to  opposing  sectarianism. 
That  is  doomed,  and  the  process  of  decay  is  going 
on  rapidly.  Earnest  men  are  unwilling  to  conse- 
crate their  powers  to  a  cause  that  has  no  future ; 
they  want  to  live  for  what  is  eternal.  And  in  spite 
of  the  apparent  growth  of  the  sectarian  spirit  in 
some  quarters,  it  cannot  last. 

The  life  promoted  by  the  rivalry  of  denomi- 
nations is   used  as  an   argument   in   their  favor. 


144  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

But  it  is  questionable  whether  a  church  which 
needs  such  rivalry  is  worthy  of  the  Christian  name. 
Antagonism  to  the  world  affords  rivalry  enough 
for  the  church  of  Christ.  The  opposition  of  Chris- 
tians to  one  another  on  account  of  denominational 
peculiarities  is  a  far  greater  injury  to  religion  than 
is  usually  supposed.  This  opposition  is  more  quiet 
than  formerly,  but  it  works  most  disastrously  in 
some  regions.  In  Germany  ministers  are  found  in 
the  state  church  who  bitterly  oppose  and  even  per- 
secute the  "sects,"  as  they  call  such  churches  as 
the  Methodist,  Baptist,  and  United  Brethren.  Yet 
millions  of  persons  are  found  who  attend  no 
church,  and  there  is  room  for  these  "sects."  And 
so  long  as  rivalry  is  the  rule,  why  not  let  all  have 
free  play  ?  And  what  a  pitiable  spectacle  is  pre- 
sented in  England,  where  the  Christians  cannot 
even  unite  in  relieving  the  miseries  of  the  suffer- 
ing masses  ?  No  language  can  do  justice  to  the 
superciliousness  of  clergymen  that  treat  with  con- 
tempt ministers  who  have  not  their  apostolic  suc- 
cession and  their  ritualism  ;  clergymen  who,  as  an 
English  journal  says,  have  been  "pitchforked  into 
the  church  ;"  who  purchase  their  sermons  as  they 
purchased  their  charge  with  its  souls  ;  whose  theo- 
logical ignorance  and  bigotry  disgrace  their  pro- 
fession and  cast  reproach  on  Christianity ;  who 
dispense  their  blessings  with  an  air  of  lordly  supe- 
riority, and  are  known  by  all  the  world,  themselves 
excepted,  as  the  worst  caricature  of  the  religion  of 


THE  CHURCH.  145 

which  they  profess,  like  the  Pharisees  of  old,  to  be 
the  first  representatives.  That  the  many  grand 
men  in  that  grand  church  can  stand  this  condition 
of  things  is  marvelotis.  They  will  no  doubt  do 
their  utmost  to  banish  such  clergymen  from  real 
life  to  novels. 

The  exclusiveness  of  narrow  Lutheranism  ;  the 
hardness  of  an  extremely  dogmatic  Calvinism  ;  the 
clannishness  of  one-sided  Methodism  ;  the  perver- 
sion of  a  mere  rite,  as  Baptism,  to  the  test  of  the 
dearest  Christian  fellowship ;  the  divinity  of  the 
Episcopacy  ;  and  the  undue  emphasis  on  minor 
matters,  as  is  the  case  in  smaller  denominations ; 
all  would  be  impossible  if  the  condition  of  the  age 
were  appreciated.  There  are  great  themes  and 
great  interests  which,  if  properly  realized,  would 
so  absorb  the  attention  that  the  insignificant  things 
would  shrink  into  their  insignificant  proportions. 
The  weightier  matters  of  the  law  need  not  prevent 
the  tithing  of  mint,  anise,  and  cummin,  but  they 
would  put  this  tithing  where  it  belongs.  It  is  not 
honest  denominational  conviction,  but  the  empha- 
sis on  sectarian  prejudice  and  the  undue  exaltation 
of  side-issues  which  is  deprecated. 

The  present  state  of  the  church  is  evidence  that 
the  age  and  its  demands  are  not  understood.  The 
denominations  too  often  make  the  impression  that 
the  conquest  of  the  world  for  Christ  has  vanished 
from  their  aims,  and  that  they  exist  for  their  own 
sake  and  glory,  to  honor  their  own  name,  to  mag- 

lO 


146  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

nify  their  own  institutions,  to  put  their  own  creed 
in  place  of  Scripture,  and  to  exalt  their  own  men 
and  methods  and  means.  Even  on  mission  fields 
sectarians  are  found,  who  convert  to  their  sect 
other  Christians,  instead  of  converting  the  heathen 
to  Christ.  And  all  this  when  the  questions  agitat- 
ing the  world  are:  Is  there  a  God?  Is  Christ  the 
Saviour  of  the  world  ?  Is  the  soul  any  thing  but 
matter  ?  Is  the  Bible  what  it  purports  to  be  ?  Is 
morality  still  possible  in  face  of  the  reduction  of 
all  existence  to  natural  law  by  certain  scientists  ? 
Is  not  crime,  like  the  cholera,  merely  a  disease  ?  Is 
there  a  life  beyond  death  ?  These  are  the  thoughts 
that  agitate  the  age ;  and  in  view  of  them  the  fact 
that  little  sectarian  interests  can  absorb  the  atten- 
tion of  believers  proves  them  mad.  The  churches 
are  largely  occupied  with  things  which  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  the  salvation  of  the  world,  about 
which  the  age  cares  nothing,  and  which  only  serve 
to  convince  the  age  that  the  salt  of  the  church  has 
lost  its  savor,  that  the  leaven  is  deprived  of  its 
working  power,  and  that  its  light  has  been  put 
under  a  bushel,  where  it  may  be  bright  enough  for 
the  denomination,  but  cannot  be  the  light  of  the 
world.  In  many  places  the  church  has  lost  its 
hold  on  culture,  men  of  intellect  declaring  that  the 
church  does  not  meet  their  needs,  that  its  petty 
disputes  do  not  concern  them,  and  that  it  is  bury- 
ing itself,  with  its  dead  denominational  issues,  out 
of  sight  of  living  men  of  the  present.     Earnest 


THE  CHURCH.  147 

men  appeal  from  the  church  to  Christ,  from  the 
religion  of  the  church  to  the  living  Christianity  of 
the  Bible  ;  and  they  protest  that  the  religion  of  the 
age  is  not  confined  to  the  church,  perhaps  is  purest 
among  such  as  worship  God  without  being  drawn 
into  the  ordinary  affairs  of  the  church.  Among 
the  saddest  signs  of  the  times  is  the  fact  that 
young  men  of  piety  and  of  the  best  culture  are 
restless  in  the  church ;  some  of  them  despair  of 
the  ability  of  the  church  to  maintain  itself.  All 
the  doubt,  uncertainty,  and  expectancy  found  in 
periods  of  transformation  are  common  now  among 
church  members.  There  are  old  attachments  which 
are  hard  to  sever ;  but  with  not  a  few  it  is  the 
question  of  a  life,  the  question  of  the  use  or  the 
waste  of  powers.  The  bonds  which  hold  men  to 
their  respective  churches  are  largely  ties  of  birth, 
of  tradition,  of  relationship,  of  habit,  of  fashion, 
and  of  expediency.  Conviction,  conscience,  reason, 
are  in  many  cases  against  these  ties.  There  is  a 
mere  tolerance  where  there  ought  to  be  the  heart- 
iest consent.  This  is  the  actual  state  of  many 
students,  theological  as  well  as  others ;  and  it  is 
also  true  of  many  preachers  and  professors. 

The  age,  like  a  vigorous  horse,  is  ever  pressing 
onward,  and  all  in  the  age  must  likewise  move  for- 
ward. The  church  is  expected  to  be  in  the  van  of 
progress.  Its  place  should  surely  not  be  that  of 
the  tail,  which  is  also  obliged  to  go  forward,  and 
yet  is  always  in  the  rear.     There  is  a  spirit  in  the 


148  THE  AGE  AND   THE  CHURCH. 

church,  which  declares  that  it  will  not  give  up  cer- 
tain dogmas  and  positions  unless  it  is  forced  to  do 
so.  Those  who  say  this  cannot  know  the  meaning 
of  their  statement.  It  implies  that  they  will  cling" 
to  errors  as  long  as  possible,  and  then  abandon 
them,  whereas  the  church  should  adhere  only  to 
the  truth,  and  should  be  most  zealous  to  lead  every 
movement  which  overthrows  error  and  promotes 
truth. 

These  are  things  against  which  earnest  believers 
protest,  and  which  make  the  present  condition  of 
the  church  untenable.  Either  the  church  must 
change  so  as  to  progress  from  its  own  inner  im- 
pulse, or  very  much  of  the  age  will  advance  so  far 
as  to  be  wholly  beyond  its  reach.  Perhaps  the 
devastations  of  atheistic  socialism  are  necessary  to 
make  the  church  conscious  of  its  great  interests ; 
perhaps  the  aggressions  of  Rome  are  required  to 
bring  Protestants  together.  But  it  is  sad  that  it 
must  be  left  to  the  destructive  influence  of  the 
enemies  of  the  church  of  Christ  to  accomplish 
what  the  love  of  brethren  and  devotion  to  the 
supreme  interests  of  religion  ought  to  be  strong 
enough  to  bring  about.  The  time  must  come 
when  it  will  be  impossible  to  comprehend  how,, 
with  the  fundamental  principles  of  union  accepted 
by  all,  it  was  possible  for  minor  considerations  to 
divide  believers. 

Christian  unity  is  a  reality ;  wherever  there  are 
Christians  they  are  united  by  indissoluble  bonds,. 


THE  CHURCH.  149 

such  as  the  same  Lord  and  Spirit,  the  same  essen- 
tials of  faith,  the  same  love,  the  same  work,  and 
the  same  hope.  It  is  not  unity  merely  that  Christ 
prays  for  in  John  17  ;  but  He  prays  for  the  per- 
fection of  this  unity,  and  for  its  visible  manifesta- 
tion before  the  world.  Everywhere  this  unity  is 
presupposed  in  Scripture.  The  one  kingdom  of 
God,  the  vine  and  the  branches,  the  body  with  its 
members,  the  temple  of  God,  one  Shepherd  and 
one  flock,  one  husbandry,  and  other  figures  teach 
that  believers  must  be  one.  Christ  established  one 
church,  not  many.  The  full,  hearty  recognition  of 
this  inherent  oneness  is  now  needed  ;  and  all  in- 
volved in  this  recognition  must  be  made  manifest. 
Those  who  go  about  to  establish  Christian  unity 
overlook  what  Christ  has  already  done.  What  is 
needed  now  is  the  perfecting  and  making  visible 
of  what  is  already  real,  but  not  yet  fully  developed 
or  properly  manifested.  Let  the  seed  now  buried 
beyond  the  eyes  of  men  be  unfolded  to  a  beautiful 
plant,  and  the  existing  organism  of  Christian  unity 
will  pass  from  the  invisible  to  the  visible  stage. 
In  this  unity  which  the  world  can  behold,  Christ's 
prayer  is  answered:  "  I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me, 
that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one  ;  and  that 
the  world  may  know  that  thou  hast  sent  me,  and 
hast  loved  them,  as  thou  has  loved  me." 

Great  crises,  like  those  which  mark  the  present, 
lead  to  new  forms  which  meet  the  needs  of  the 
day.     That  old  things  are  insuflicient  is  proof  that 


150  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

progress  has  been  made,  and  that  the  demands  are 
now  greater  than  in  the  past.  Just  what  the  bet- 
ter type  is  to  be  must  be  left  to  development.  The 
effort  to  produce  it  must  not  be  wasted  in  merely- 
attacking  existing  imperfections ;  the  work  must 
be  positive,  constructive,  the  emphasis  being  placed 
on  the  fundamental  truths  and  the  essential  regen- 
erative powers.  The  negative,  destructive  work 
is  likely  to  be  done  by  a  godless  culture,  by  the 
materialistic  masses,  and  by  Roman  Catholicism. 

That  positive  work  will  emphasize  the  existing 
unity  and  will  promote  its  manifestation.  Already 
the  barriers  are  being  taken  down,  which  keep 
Christians  and  preachers  from  changing  from  one 
denomination  to  another.  The  foes  of  the  church  are 
already  forcing  Christians  so  near  each  other  that 
the  friction  may  produce  more  warmth  of  Christian 
love.  A  union  which  is  a  compromise  of  Christian 
conviction  and  honesty  is  not  worthy  of  Christians. 
It  is  a  strange  view,  that  believers  who  associate 
together  become  responsible  for  each  other's 
whims  and  errors  and  failings.  That  is  as  foolish 
as  to  suppose  that  a  valuable  truth  can  only  be 
preserved  by  a  schism,  which  puts  it  by  itself  and 
gives  it  a  one-sided  emphasis.  Not  strength  of 
faith,  but  the  power  of  unfaith,  lies  at  the  basis  of 
this  procedure:  the  truth  is  thought  too  weak  in 
itself,  so  external  force  and  organization  must  help 
it  along.  An  honest  Christian  tolerance,  not  big- 
otry, must  be  the  spirit  of  the  union.     And  the 


THE  CHURCH.  151 

union  must  be  a  spiritual  growth,  not  a  mechanism 
or  patchwork. 

Even  with  the  existing  denominations  a  measure 
of  visible  unity  is  possible.  Different  states,  vary- 
ing in  size  and  influence,  each  with  separate  legis- 
lative bodies,  and  with  peculiar  rights,  views  and 
interests,  may  form  but  one  nation.  All  the  states 
need  not  have  the  same  constitution  and  name  ; 
the  peculiarities  may  be  very  great,  and  these 
peculiarities  may  add  richness  to  the  whole. 
Monotony  is  not  unity ;  sameness  makes  organism 
impossible.  The  greatest  unity  in  variety,  and 
the  greatest  variety  in  perfect  unity,  is  needed. 
It  is  not  a  question  of  abandoning  principles,  or  of 
merging  one  denomination  into  another  ;  the  rights, 
the  privileges,  the  peculiarities,  and  the  Christian 
freedom  of  each,  must  be  fully  respected. 

The  visible  union  now  needed  and  possible  is 
cooperative.  Its  aim  is  religious  and  practical  rather 
than  dogmatic.  Only  so  much  of  a  doctrinal  basis 
is  required  as  all  true  believers  can  and  must 
recognize  ;  and  it  is  to  be  a  basis  for  union  in  such 
cooperation  as  concerns  the  entire  church.  De- 
nominational work  will  not  be  interfered  with ; 
but  all  general  Christian  causes,  as  the  spread  of 
the  Bible,  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  day,  the 
war  against  intemperance,  against  vice,  and  crime, 
and  similar  objects,  which  concern  equally  all  the 
denominations,  would  fall  within  the  province  of 
this  Cooperative  Union.     It  would  unite  Christians 


152  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

against  the  powers  of  evil,  and  would  form  a  solid 
host  against  the  aggressions  of  the  papacy  and  the 
destructive  tendencies  of  materialistic  socialism. 
The  mightiest  conflicts  of  the  day  involve  Chris- 
tianity itself ;  and  it  is  for  the  defence  of  these 
interests  that  such  a  Union  is  necessary. 

Not  the  maximum,  but  the  minimum,  of  Chris- 
tian faith  must  be  confessed  by  the  Union,  so  that 
all  Christian  differences  may  have  room.  Such  a 
minimum  might  be  accepted  by  a  church  which 
could  nevertheless  not  enter  the  Union,  because 
the  church  has  some  exclusive  principle  which 
refuses  the  recognition  of  other  believers.  Such  a 
church,  as  the  Roman  Catholic,  for  instance,  would 
exclude  itself.  A  denomination  that  lacks  Chris- 
tian tolerance  toward  other  denominations  does 
not  belong  to  that  visible  unity  for  which  our  Lord 
prayed.  The  minimum  of  faith  as  a  basis  would 
likely  cause  little  difficulty.  If  presented  as  a 
religious  basis  and  personal  trust,  not  as  a  dog- 
matic groundwork,  which  is  not  what  is  sought, 
there  seems  to  be  no  reason  why  somethng  like 
the  following  could  not  be  adopted :  God  our 
Father,  as  revealed  in  Christ ;  Jesus  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God  and  of  man,  our  Lord  and  the  Saviour 
of  the  world  ;  the  Bible  as  the  rule  of  faith  and 
practice  ;  and  love  to  God  and  to  man  as  the  bond 
of  union  among  Christians,  and  the  inspiration  to 
do  the  works  of  this  love  and  to  make  the  love 
itself  universal.      Would  not  Christ  have  received 


THE  CHURCH.  153 

all  who  can  honestly  accept  these  statements? 
And  what  was  enough  for  Him — ought  it  not  to  be 
enough  for  the  cooperation  of  His  followers  ? 

This  Union,  constituted  by  the  various  denomi- 
nations, expressive  of  what  is  common  to  all  of 
them,  and  interfering  with  nothing  >  peculiar  to 
any,  can  be  most  real  and  most  efficient,  a  mani- 
festation of  what  is  best  in  each  denomination. 
Annual  meetings  can  be  held  by  the  delegates 
appointed  by  the  various  denominational  bodies. 
The  great  themes  of  the  church  as  the  leaven  of 
the  world,  equally  significant  for  all  churches, 
could  be  discussed.  Out  of  narrow  spheres  of 
work  the  consciousness  that  the  church  of  Christ 
is  to  conquer  the  world  would  again  be  aroused. 
Not  only  would  the  real  oneness  of  believers  be 
made  evident  to  the  world,  but  their  actual  one- 
ness against  common  foes,  would  give  them  a 
strength  they  now  so  sadly  lack.  Besides,  on  the 
great  themes  the  fullest  and  best  light  could  be 
concentrated  from  the  various  denominations,  and 
the  benefits  would  accrue  to  all.  Infringement  on 
purely  denominational  themes  must  of  course  be 
excluded  ;  but  with  such  great  subjects  as  the 
conversion  of  the  heathen,  the  evangelization  of 
the  masses  and  of  the  culture  of  the  day,  the  mak- 
ing of  nominally  Christian  nations  actually  Chris- 
tian, and  the  overthrow  of  false  forms  of  religion, 
w^ould  awaken  little  inclination  to  enter  the  especial 
domains  of  denominations.     The  peculiar  demands 


154  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

of  the  age  on  the  church  of  Christ  would  alone 
furnish  themes  enough  for  all  conventions.  Even 
if  the  conventions  are  limited  to  discussions,  they 
may  be  very  useful.  Resolutions  expressing  the 
sense  of  the  convention  cannot  be  made  binding, 
but  can  be  presented  for  Christian  consideration 
to  all  believers.  On  the  same  basis,  the  churches 
in  a  particular  locality  or  section  can  hold  conven- 
tions, to  consider  such  points  as  are  essential  to 
the  welfare  of  all.  The  work  to  be  done  or  pre- 
pared by  this  Cooperative  Union  must  of  course 
be  left  to  the  Union  itself.  In  this  respect  there 
would  be  no  lack  ;  the  work  is  so  overwhelmingly 
great  that  it  is  apt  to  bewilder  by  its  magnitude. 
That  this  Cooperative  Union  is  to  become  interna- 
tional is  self-evident.  Similar  to  the  Evangelical 
Alliance,  it  would  yet  be  very  different.  Chris- 
tians of  the  world  are  to  be  made  acquainted  with 
each  other,  and  are  to  be  united.  The  reproach  is 
to  cease  that  Roman  Catholic  priests  are  the  black 
internationals,  and  socialists  are  the  red  interna- 
tionals, while  Protestants  are  nothing  but  local 
sects,  fighting  one  another,  and  thus  doing  among 
themselves  the  destructive  work  which  the  Jesuits 
and  socialists  can  then  the  more  easily  finish. 

That  realism  which  marks  the  age  the  church 
lacks.  Its  professed  unity  is  not  real  enough,  its 
love  of  the  brethren  is  not  real.  The  deepest  need 
of  the  church  is  Christian  realism.  Thoughts  are 
put  for  things,  words  for  thoughts,  theories  for 
actualities,  professions  for  deeds.      Realization  is 


THE  CHURCH.  155 

needed.  Phraseology  has  taken  the  place  of  real- 
ity. Faith  lives  in  cloud-land,  hope  is  often  an  idle 
dream,  love  is  a  fiction.  A  real  religion  would 
make  the  condition  now  existing  in  Christian  lands 
impossible.  Our  most  Christian  cities  have  horrors 
which  cannot  find  a  parallel  in  heathendom.  Jap- 
anese students  come  to  Christian  lands,  and  in 
many  instances  are  confirmed  in  their  views  of  the 
weakness  of  Christianity  by  the  actual  condition  of 
the  churches  and  professing  Christians ;  or  if 
Christian  themselves,  these  students  admit  that 
their  faith  was  put  to  the  severest  test  by  what 
they  saw  in  Christian  lands.  The  worst  influences 
are  exerted  on  heathen  lands  by  so-called  Chris- 
tian countries,  and  the  worst  heathen  are  found  in 
Christian  lands.  The  most  urgent  mission  fields 
are  at  home.  All  this  must  be  realized  ;  and  to 
meet  these  facts  the  church  must  realize  and  make 
real  to  the  world  what  is  now  implied  in  the 
church,  but  is  not  real. 

Among  the  realizations  required  is  the  kingdom 
of  God,  which  seems  to  have  dropped  out  of  the 
faith  of  believers.  The  very  distractions  in  Prot- 
estantism make  it  impossible  to  conceive  its  divid- 
ed churches  as  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  Roman 
Catholic  church  deserves  credit  for  retaining  the 
idea  of  God's  kingdom  ;  but  falsely  it  makes  itself 
solely  and  exclusively  that  kingdom.  When  the 
Protestant  theologian  Ritschl  again  emphasized 
the  kingdom  of  God  and  gave  it  the  prominence 
which  it  occupies  in  the  Gospel,  it  was  hailed,  even 


156  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

by  opponents  of  his  theology,  as  an  act  which 
restored  an  important  Christian  idea  long  ignored. 
Yet  on  the  establishment  of  that  kingdom  Christ 
concentrates  his  aim.  That  kingdom  consequently 
occupies  a  central  place  in  His  teachings  ;  and  it 
is  only  by  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom  that 
His  mission  can  be  accomplished.  But  by  absorb- 
ing the  attention  by  denominational  work,  and  by 
limiting  the  vision  to  the  denomination,  there  was 
no  room  for  the  grand  conception  of  God's  king- 
dom. Thus  what  most  of  all  interested  Christ  has 
ceased  to  interest  the  denominations.  They  can 
not  shrink  the  kingdom  of  God  to  a  sect,  and  it  is 
just  as  impossible  to  enlarge  the  sect  to  the  dimen- 
sions of  God's  kingdom.  No  denomination  is  the 
kingdom  of  God  ;  and  one  m.ust  greatly  transcend 
the  idea  of  a  denomination  to  be  able  to  grasp  that 
of  the  kingdom. 

So  completely  does  the  church  fail  to  cover  the 
idea  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  that  much  of  the  best 
work  of  that  kingdom  is  not  at  all  the  work  of  the 
church  as  a  church.  That  large  sphere  of  Chris- 
tian activity,  embraced  in  Germany  under  the  head 
of  ''  Inner  Mission,"  is  not  the  work  of  the  organ- 
ized church  ;  and  yet  it  is  the  best  evidence  of  the 
power  of  religion.  The  state  church  is  too  un- 
wieldly  to  do  the  work,  and  pastors  sometimes 
oppose  that  work,  because  it  involves  so  much  lay 
activity.  The  Inner  Mission  is  carried  on  by  vol- 
untary associations,  such  as  the  work  in  behalf  of 
neglected  children,  fallen  women,  released  prison- 


THE  CHURCH.  157 

ers,  and  the  like.     Not  the  church  begins  the  work, 
but  the  faith  and  love  of  some  Christian  heart  are 
the  source.     Parties  may  contribute  to  these  causes 
who  never  attend  divine  service,  while  the  church 
itself,  perhaps,  contributes  nothing.     Some  minis- 
ters urge  that  all  organizations  for  Christian  work 
should   be  made  an  organic  part  of   the  church, 
and  that  must  be  the  case  when  the  church  and  the 
kingdom  of  God  are  synonymous  ;  but  now  this  is 
impossible.     A  man  converted  where  there  is  no 
church,  or  where  there  is  no  church  to  which  he 
can  honestly  belong,  is  in  the  kingdom  of    God, 
but  not  in  the  visible  church  ;   and  all  Christian 
work  is  in  this  kingdom,  but  it  may  not  be  in  the 
church.     No  demand  is  more  thoroughly  Christian 
than  that  the  church  shall  be  made,  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, the  kingdom  of  God.     If  this  is  not  done, 
Christ's  followers  may  prefer  to  be  in  the  kingdom 
of  God,  whether  they  are  in  the  church  or  not. 

This  kingdom  of  God  is  the  whole  sphere  of 
God's  operations  on  earth  through  Christ.  In  re- 
spect to  quality,  it  includes  all  the  influences  which 
emanate  from  Christ,  all  the  manifestations  of  His 
truth  and  Spirit.  In  point  of  extent,  this  kingdom 
embraces  the  world  so  far  as  Christ's  influence  is 
exerted— the  world  where  the  wheat  grows  beside 
the  tares.  Heaven  is  all  wheat ;  the  world  outside 
of  divine  influence  is  all  tares  ;  in  God's  kingdom, 
considered  in  point  of  external  extent,  the  wheat 
and  tares  are  together,  but  the  wheat  alone  is  the 
kingdom. 


158  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

In  point  of  influence  the  kingdom  of  God  in- 
cludes all  who  experience  the  effects  of  the  Gospel. 
Many  are  under  this  influence  in  a  preparatory- 
stage,  being  taught  and  trained  for  full  member- 
ship. By  the  schoolmaster  they  are  being  led  unto 
Christ.  Some  not  aware  of  the  fact  are  greatly 
affected  by  the  truth  of  this  kingdom.  The  king- 
dom, as  confined  to  the  church,  is  so  narrowed  as 
to  lose  essential  features  given  by  Christ  Himself. 
Christian  truth  in  all  its  fulness  and  with  all  its 
ramifications  is  included!  and  all  that  prepares 
for  this  truth,  whether  in  heathendom,  in  Judaism, 
or  wherever  found,  is  related  to  this  kingdom. 
Buddha,  Confucius,  and  Plato  as  well  as  Moses 
and  Isaiah,  have  significance  for  it.  It  is  a  king- 
dom of  truth,  and  Christ  came  to  bear  witness 
unto  the  truth.  And  as  all  truth  is  connected,  as 
truth  leads  to  truth,  and  as  the  spirit  of  truth  finds 
no  truth  foreign  to  itself,  we  can  see  how  all  truth 
is  intimately  connected  with  this  kingdom.  "We 
can  do  nothing  against  the  truth." 

There  is  worship  in  this  kingdom  ;  but  what  is 
commonly  called  "divine  service  "is  but  a  small 
part  of  the  divine  service  of  Christians.  All  truly 
divine  service  is  included,  all  that  finds  an  illustra- 
tion in  Christ's  word  and  work.  This  service  in- 
cludes all  embraced  in  the  immense  sweep  of  love 
to  God  and  love  to  man.  Nothing  done  in  Christ's 
name  and  spirit  is  excluded.  He  heals  the  sick 
and  feeds  the  hungry  ;  and  work  like  this  is  not  only 
included  in  the  kingdom,  but  in  Matt,  xxv,  it  is 


THE  CHURCH.  159 

even  made  the  test  of  belonging  to  the  kingdom. 
The  law  of  the  kingdom  is  divine  and  human  love 
and  sympathy.     All  Christian  works  come  under 
this  law.     The  spirit  and  work  of  this  kingdom  far 
reach  beyond  the  limits  usually  assigned  to  them. 
It  is  the  kingdom  of  God,  but  for  men  ;  human 
therefore  as  well  as    divine.     Nothing   truly  of 
humanity  is  foreign  to  it.     Christ  came  to  spread 
joy,  and  all  pure  joy  has  a  home  in  this  kingdom. 
Culture,  too,  here  finds  the  purest  soil  and  the  best 
seed.     The  kingdom  has  room  for  art,  for  music, 
and  for  poetry,  as  well  as  for  science  and  philoso- 
phy.    When  the  apostle  says,  "  Whether  therefore 
ye  eat,  or  drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the 
glory  of  God,"  he  evidently  includes  in  this  divine 
service  all  the  Christian  does  as  a  child  of  God. 
It  is  astonishing,  in  view  of  the  teachings  of  Scrip- 
ture, that  worship  in  church  can  be  called  divine 
service,  while  the  study,  the  profession,  the  busi- 
ness, the  recreations,  and  the  joys  of  the  Christian, 
are  excluded  from  divine  service.     Christ  lifts  His 
own,  and  all  pertaining  to  them  as  His  own,  into 
the  realm  of  His  kingdom.     Thus  the  Christian 
life  and  all  the  Christian's  concerns  are  divine  ser- 
vice ;  and  He  who  could  command  that  the  net  be 
cast  into  the  sea  and  be  drawn  from  it  has  digni- 
fied labor.     The  business  of  the  Christian  is  not 
outside  of  but  within  God's  kingdom. 

Even  in  Protestantism  the  Roman  Catholic  idea 
of  divine  service  often  prevails,  instead  of  the 
evangelical  view.     Divine  service  {Gottesdtenst)  as 


160  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

merely  worship  is  a  Roman  Catholic  notion,  and 
this  notion,  as  well  as  the  term  itself,  is  an  inheri- 
tance from  the  papacy.  We  confine  religion  to  the 
church  and  its  services,  and  thus  adopt  the  leaven 
of  Rome.  There  is  no  religion  anywhere  except 
in  a  man,  in  his  heart,  his  soul  and  all  worship  and 
doing  is  but  an  expression  of  his  religion,  not  that 
religion  itself.  Religion  means  character,  person- 
ality ;  it  is  being,  essence,  substance,  not  a  fleeting 
phenomenon.  Religion  is  a  spiritual  organism  in 
a  man  ;  it  is  the  real,  actual  life  of  the  soul,  known 
by  its  fruits,  as  the  tree  is,  and  yet  the  tree  is  more 
than  its  fruit.  The  fruit  is  effect,  not  cause.  We 
do  not  worship  too  much,  but  the  other  divine  ser- 
vice— that  of  the  life — is  not  made  as  great  propor- 
tionately as  the  worship.  We  make  "to  glorify 
God"  mean  to  worship  God;  but  Jesus  made  it 
mean  to  do  the  work  of  God.  "I  have  glorified 
thee  on  earth  :  I  have  finished  the  work  which 
thou  gavest  me  to  do."  It  does  not  seem  clear  how 
God  can  be  better  glorified  than  by  doing  His  will, 
namely,  by  a  faith  which  worketh  by  love.  Wor- 
ship is  but  a  small  part  of  divine  service  and  may 
be  but  the  poorest  part.  Jesus  clearly  teaches 
that  to  serve  God  by  robbing  man  is  sacrilege. 
Mark  7  :  11-13. 

Is  it  not  highly  significant  that  Jesus  established 
neither  time,  nor  place,  nor  form,  for  worship,  but 
constantly  lived  His  love  and  taught  His  disciples 
to  do  likewise  ? 


THE  CHURCH.  161 

The  church  of  to-day  must  be  measured  by  the 
idea  of  the  kingdom  of  God  and  of  its  divine  ser- 
vice. As  this  idea  itself  has  so  largely  vanished 
from  the  church,  we  cannot  be  surprised  that  there 
are  regions  where  the  church  itself  has  scarcely 
more  than  shadows,  cast  by  the  light  of  this  king- 
dom. Some,  perhaps,  feel  that  in  order  to  stand 
fully  with  Christ,  the  Gospel,  the  kingdom  of  God 
and  of  heaven,  they  must  stand  aloof  from  the  ex- 
isting churches.  It  is  one  of  the  many  mercies  of 
God,  that  He  enables  the  believer  to  be  alone 
with  Him. 

The  isolation  of  the  church  and  its  concerns 
has  ceased.  Theology  and  religion  have  lost  their 
separateness  from  other  human  affairs,  and  have 
taken  their  place  as  members  of  the  great  organ- 
ism of  humanity.  This  intimate  connection  with 
worldly  thought  and  interest  may  endanger  their 
purity,  but  it  also  increases  their  power.  Religion 
cannot  be  abstracted  from  other  factors  in  man,  or 
from  his  earthly  relations  and  interests.  As  a  spirit 
or  disposition  it  must  enter  all  that  enlists  his 
heart. 

Consequently  religion  as  a  separate  profession 
no  longer  enjoys  the  reverence  of  former  times. 
Religion,  as  an  addition  to  worldliness  and  selfish- 
ness, is  but  "  as  a  jewel  of  gold  in  a  swine's  snout." 
Not  only  has  the  mysterious  sanctity  conferred  by 
office,  or  by  peculiar  ceremonies,  lost  its  influence 
with  men  of  culture,  but  the  church  itself  has  been 


163  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

more  fully  drawn  into  ordinary  human  affairs. 
The  leaven,  long  kept  apart  as  a  divine  arcanum, 
is  now  to  be  placed  into  the  meal  to  prove  that  the 
glory  of  its  inherent  character  consists  in  its  trans- 
forming energy  as  exercised  on  the  world.  Re- 
ligion has  thus  come  to  mean  a  divine  power  that 
is  thoroughly  human,  and  its  perfect  humanity  is 
among  the  strongest  proofs  of  its  divinity 

The  immanent,  permeating  power  of  religion  is 
another  test  of  the  position  of  the  church  in  our 
age.  How  far  it  meets  the  demand  made  on  it,  of 
permeating  science,  philosophy,  literature,  art, 
politics,  social  institutions,  capital,  labor,  and  life 
generally,  it  is  impossible  to  state  exactly.  But 
there  is  no  question  that  the  church  can  be  viewed 
hopefully  in  the  light  of  problem  and  possibilities 
rather  than  in  that  of  attainment.  Its  majesty 
is  in  its  problems  and  possibilities,  and  in  achieve- 
ments only  so  far  as  they  realize  its  ideals.  And 
is  not  the  same  true  of  Christianity  ?  It  is  an  ideal 
which  Christ  has  set  up  before  believers  of  all 
ages,  but  which  the  existing  Christianity  has  at  no 
period  realized.  That  the  church  is  so  far  from  the 
ideal  and  so  teems  with  imperfections  is  no  ground 
for  despair,  but  is  reason  for  the  most  thorough 
self-examination,  and  for  the  greatest  energy  to 
turn  the  possibilities  into  realities.  An  optimistic 
pessimism  is  possible:  pessimism  respecting  the 
present  condition  of  the  church,  optimism  respect- 
ing what  can  be  made  of  the  church. 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &^C.  163 


CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Adaptation  of  the  Church  to  the  Times. 

This  adaptation  will  here  be  considered  in  its 
most  general  character ;  the  specific  adaptation  of 
the  church  to  particular  movements  will  be  dis- 
cussed in  the  following  chapters. 

The  modern  demand  for  reality  is  just,  although 
the  conception  of  reality  may  be  too  limited  and 
even  false,  and  the  methods  to  attain  reality  may 
be  considerably  modified  in  the  future.  However 
mere  visions  and  shams  may  prevail,  when  once 
the  demand  for  objective  realism  has  become  a 
fact  of  the  general  consciousness,  it  is  not  likely 
ever  to  lose  its  imperative  character.  The  demand 
will  grow,  controlling  minds  as  yet  little  affected 
by  it,  entering  departments  still  outside  of  its  do- 
minion, and  overawing  as  of  first  importance  all 
other  demands.  This  realism,  as  the  enemy  of 
what  is  deceptive  and  false,  is  a  requirement  of 
reason,  of  conscience,  and  of  every  consideration  of 
interest.  Who  would  build  his  hopes  and  labors 
on  a  foundation  of  lies  ?  Christ  and  His  religion 
insist,  that  what  is  real  and  actual  shall  take  the 
place  of  fictions.     These  considerations  have  be- 


164  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

come  a  power  in  the  age  and  are  shaping  the  course 
of  religion.  Empty  speculation  on  divine  subjects 
has  lost  its  force  ;  mere  theories  are  recognized  as 
having  no  regenerative  power  ;  subjective  views^ 
however  dogmatically  asserted,  are  known  to  be 
no  evidence  of  objective  validity  ;  and  in  the  world 
at  large,  professions  are  at  a  discount,  because  the 
fulfilment  so  often  belies  the  prophecy. 

The  whole  weight  of  the  age  is  an  emphasis  on 
the  demand  for  Christian  Realis77t.  By  its  Christian, 
realism  the  church  must  establish  that  Spiritual 
Realism  which  the  world  denies,  and  must  over- 
throw the  materialistic  exclusiveness  which  domi- 
nates the  present.  The  spirituality  ignored  by  the 
masses  can  be  demonstrated  a  reality  only  by  be- 
ing made  an  actuality.  By  a  deep  spiritual  awak- 
ening the  church  must  appropriate  what  is  com- 
mitted to  it,  and  must  realize  in  actual  life  what  its 
faith,  and  profession,  and  calling  imply.  The  con- 
sciousness of  reality,  attained  by  the  age,  must 
likewise  be  attained  by  the  church  ;  and  the  de- 
mand for  reality  must  be  honestly  met  by  the  act- 
ual spirituality  of  the  church. 

The  aesthetic  contemplation  of  religion,  as  that 
of  a  picture  or  statue,  has  no  spiritual  significance. 
The  ethical  era  has  succeeded  the  aesthetic.  Eth- 
ical energy  means  will,  self-appropriation,  and 
self-elaboration  ;  divine  food  must  be  eaten,  appro- 
priated, and  assimilated,  so  as  to  become  heart  and 
soul.     "  The  words  that  I  speak  unto  you,  they  are 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &-C.  165 

Spirit,  and  they  are  life."  Christ's  teachings  be- 
come spirit  and  life,  are  wrought  into  soul,  grow 
into  heart,  and  the  spirit  which  these  teachings 
become,  lives  in  a  man,  and  lives  out  of  him  and 
through  him  into  the  world. 

Divine  truth,  transformed  into  life,  overcomes 
the  one-sided  views  of  religion  which  have  been 
so  common  in  the  history  of  Christianity.  It  makes 
impossible  the  conception  of  religion  as  exclusively 
or  chiefly  a  dogmatic  system.  The  one-sided  em- 
phasis of  dogma  has  now  brought  about  a  reaction 
that  is  not  less  partial.  On  the  one  hand  it  is 
claimed,  that  not  only  philosophical  dogmas  of 
theology  but  likewise  simple  statements  of  doc- 
trine, have  nothing  to  do  with  religion.  Thus 
some  claim  that  religion  is  solely  a  matter  of  feel- 
ing, and  that  neither  at  its  basis,  nor  in  its  expres- 
sion, can  we  look  for  definite  doctrine.  Religion 
is  thus  put  on  a  level  with  beauty  or  art,  and  is  at 
best  a  vague  mysticism  or  an  emotional  pantheism. 
Others  put  action  in  place  of  dogma,  and  make 
conduct  the  essence  of  religion.  It  is  thus  made 
mainly  ethical,  with  the  will  as  the  chief  or  sole 
factor  in  its  exercise. 

The  very  fact  that  thus  but  a  part  of  man's  na- 
ture is  affected  by  religion  proves  these  views  de- 
fective. It  is  a  common  experience  that,  when 
one  faculty  has  for  awhile  been  made  the  sole  seat 
of  religion,  a  reaction  necessarily  comes  in  favor 
of   the   other   faculties.       Religion   can   be    truly 


166  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

healthy  only  when  it  affects  harmoniously  all  the 
powers  of  the  mind,  or  has  its  seat  in  the  heart,  as 
that  term  is  used  in  Scripture,  namely,  in  that  deep 
sense  according  to  which  the  heart  lies  at  the  basis 
of  the  intellect,  the  feelings,  and  the  will,  and  is 
the  source  of  their  activity.  Therefore  religion 
may  begin  with  the  intellect,  with  the  heart,  or  in 
the  will ;  but  it  cannot  be  complete  unless  it  per- 
meates the  entire  man,  and  thus  becomes  his  spirit 
or  the  personality  itself. 

It  is  this  deep  and  broad,  this  permeative  nature 
of  religion,  which  overcomes  the  one-sided  ten- 
dencies of  the  day.  Men  constantly  put  asunder 
what  God  has  joined  together.  Christianity  is  doc- 
trine which  becomes  actual  spirit  and  life.  The 
doctrine  of  communion  with  God  as  Father  is  for 
real  communion  ;  the  doctrine  of  pardon  is  for  the 
sake  of  actual  forgiveness  ;  and  the  doctrine  of 
love  is  for  the  sake  of  the  love  that  loves.  All 
faith,  every  grace  is  real,  and  a  deception  unless 
real. 

What  is  this  reality  ?  Personality.  In  all  the 
universe  there  is  not  an  iota  of  truth,  except  in 
persons.  Scripture  has  only  symbols  of  truth  ; 
these  symbols  become  truth  only  to  the  interpret- 
ing mind.  Letters,  words,  volumes  are  no  more 
truth  than  the  piano  is  music.  The  Bible  itself 
may  be  made  a  fetish,  but  only  by  the  heathen.  It 
is  not  an  end  in  itself,  but  means  to  an  end  ;  it  is  a 
symbol,  and  the  reality  of  the  symbol  is  in  the 
mind  that  reads  aright  the  symbol. 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &-C.  167 

In  its  deepest  and  best  realistic  sense  the  inter- 
pretation of  Scripture  means  that  a  man  himself 
must  become  the  truth  whose  symbols  are  found 
in  the  Bible.  Spiritual  truth  transforms  him  into 
its  own  likeness.  Truth  as  a  mere  conception,  as 
an  object  before  the  mind,  becomes  actual  being. 
The  man  is  an  embodiment  of  the  truth  ;  he  is  the 
truth  in  personality,  in  spirit,  in  life.  Regener- 
ation is  a  process  which  transforms  divine  truth 
from  a  mental  image  into  a  personal  reality. 
Christian  faith  means  so  to  believe  that  we  become 
what  we  believe ;  and  we  can  truly  believe  only 
the  truth  we  are.  And  we  can  do  only  what  we 
are.  Religion  is  reality,  personality,  truth  which 
is  spirit  and  life. 

Many  Christians  emphasize  the  witness  to  the 
truth  as  the  great  mission  of  the  church.  The 
exaltation  of  truth  in  the  Gospel  of  John  is  in 
keeping  with  the  strictest  scientific  and  philosoph- 
ical demand  of  the  age.  Christ  represents  himself 
as  having  come  into  the  world  to  bear  witness  to 
the  truth,  and  as  Himself  the  way,  the  truth,  and 
the  life.  He  promises  the  Spirit  of  truth  that 
leads  into  all  truth  ;  He  makes  truth  the  power 
that  frees  and  sanctifies,  and  requires  that  those 
who  come  to  Him  shall  be  of  the  truth.  His  testi- 
mony to  the  truth  was  in  word  and  in  work,  in 
doctrine  and  in  life.  We  can  hardly  imagine  a 
greater  perversion  of  His  truth  than  by  making  it 
consist  in  confession  alone  or  chiefly.  The  truth 
lived  is  the  truth  witnessed  unto. 


168  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Wherever  we  look  we  find  a  deepening  of  spirit- 
ual processes  necessary  in  the  church.  Whatever 
new  forms  may  be  instituted,  it  is  in  the  deepening 
of  religious  conviction,  in  sinking  the  truth  more 
into  the  heart,  in  spiritualizing  the  being,  the  very 
essence  of  man,  that  the  process  of  regeneration 
consists  and  the  hope  of  reformation  lies.  Spirit- 
uality as  a  life-process,  as  a  personal  energizing,  is 
needed.  The  truth  as  superficial,  mechanical,  as 
something  a  man  has  in  his  intellect,  but  which 
is  not  his  personal  substance  and  which  he  is  not, 
this  truth  is  ineffective  or  moves  only  the  surface 
of  men. 

Religion  has  become  institutional.  Sabbatic,  a 
power  that  hovers  over  a  man,  instead  of  becoming 
his  soul.  Men  become  religious,  are  somehow  and 
somewhat  affected  by  spirituality ;  but  religion 
does  not  become  Peter,  John,  Paul.  A  man  gets 
religion,  but  religion  does  not  get  the  man.  Piety 
lacks  reality  because  it  fails  of  the  substantiality 
of  the  personality.  The  man  himself  is  the  meal 
which  divine  truth  is  to  leaven.  Religion  is  per- 
sonal or  it  is  nothing. 

Christ  makes  religion  personality.  The  Sabbath 
is  for  man,  not  man  for  the  Sabbath.  This  implies 
that  all  religion  included  in  the  wSabbath  is  for  man. 
There  is  no  way  of  sanctifying  the  Sabbath, 
except  by  sanctifying  men.  Religion  for  man  in- 
volves a  total  revolution  of  many  current  ecclesi- 
astical views.     Religion   for   God's   sake,   as  if  it 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &^C.  169 

could  somehow  meet  His  needs  or  benefit  Him,  is 
a  heathen  notion.  Man  needs  religion,  and  that 
is  the  human  ground  for  its  existence.  God  de- 
mands that  a  man  become  religious,  as  the  con- 
dition for  bringing  the  soul  into  harmony  with 
Himself.  But  the  blessing  is  man's.  How  signifi- 
cant the  fact  that  Christ  came  not  to  be  ministered 
unto,  but  to  minister,  thus  by  His  own  service 
proving  that  religion  serves  man.  Religion  solely 
for  God's  sake  has  brought  about  a  reaction,  mak- 
ing religion  wholly  human  and  earthly.  The  love 
to  God  has  been  interpreted  to  mean  prayer  and 
praise  merely  in  word,  as  if  that  could  delight 
Jehovah.  The  doing  of  His  will  is  the  strongest 
proof  of  love  to  Him.  The  other  command,  made 
by  our  Lord  equal  to  the  first,  namely,  the  love  of 
the  neighbor  like  unto  the  love  of  self,  has  been 
too  much  ignored.  For  that  love  to  man  the  de- 
mand is  now  greater  than  ever.  There  is  in  that 
love  an  actuality  and  a  reality  which  all  the  world 
can  see. 

Religion  for  man,  as  a  minister  such  as  Christ 
was  and  is,  means  more  than  religion  as  a  comfort 
in  times  of  distress.  Religion  that  is  occasional, 
exceptional,  a  mere  thought  or  mere  feeling,  is  not 
Christianity.  Such  a  religion  lacks  the  spirit  and 
life,  the  reality  which  Christianity  is.  Not  for 
occasions  but  for  man  is  the  religion  of  Christ,  for 
the  whole  man,  so  that  he  has  religion  and  religion 
has  him,  and  he  is  in  the  truest  sense  religious. 


170  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Religion  as  power,  and  that  power  as  personal, 
is  the  great  need  of  the  times.  Much  of  the  hope 
of  the  church  consists  in  the  exaltation  of  the  re- 
ligious personality  to  its  proper  place.  Things 
have  absorbed  the  attention  to  the  neglect  of  the 
person.  Temples,  books,  places,  relics  have  been 
made  holy,  when  only  what  is  free  and  personal 
can  be  truly  holy.  Think  of  holy  water  and  holy 
vestments!  Awe  inspiring  or  religiously  conse- 
crated places  may  be  termed  holy  in  Scripture, 
but  never  in  that  idolatrous  sense  which  ignorance 
and  superstition  now  adopt. 

The  mere  attachments  or  possessions  of  persons 
have  been  unduly  exalted,  while  the  person  him- 
self was  overlooked.  Thus  a  dogma,  which  is 
nothing  but  an  abstraction,  unless  it  is  in  the  mind, 
has  been  treated  as  if  it  had  some  independent  ex- 
istence and  ought  to  be  revered  for  its  own  sake, 
whereas  only  as  it  affects  the  person  has  it  signifi- 
cance. Man  has  been  regarded  as  existing  for  the 
sake  of  some  doctrine  ;  whether  the  doctrine  ever 
became  to  the  soul  a  reality,  a  personal  power, 
seemed  to  be  a  secondary  matter.  Man  seemed  to 
exist  for  some  profession,  some  ceremony,  some 
institution,  especially  for  the  church.  Religion 
was  deemed  foreign  to  man,  w^hich  somehow  un- 
humanized  him  in  order  to  bring  him  into  contact 
with  holy  things,  instead  of  being  a  divine  and 
human  power  within  him  and  making  him  most 
truly  human.     To  a  dogma,  a  sacrament  a  man 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &»C.  171 

cried,  "I  believe,"  as  if  faith  were  a  projection  of 
the  man  outside  of  himself  to  the  object  of  faith, 
a  stick  to  touch  objects  outside  of  him.  That  faith 
is  within  a  man,  and  possesses  nothing  but  what  it 
has  within  a  man,  this  has  not  been  appreciated. 

Things  are  still  deemed  holy.  In  Protestant 
lands  it  is  common  to  regard  a  cemetery  defiled  by 
the  burial  of  a  suicide.  What  does  defiled  earth 
mean  in  such  a  case  ?  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  must 
be  reconsecrated  after  a  suicide.  But  does  the 
Cathedral  need  it  ?  Does  God  need  it  ?  Or  is  it 
simply  for  man's  sake,  somehow  to  affect  his 
thoughts  and  feelings  ? 

But  in  religion  the  person  is  now  coming  to  the 
front,  and  mere  things  are  thrust  into  the  back- 
ground, where  they  belong.  The  person  of  Christ 
as  the  centre  of  the  Gospel  has  received  marked 
emphasis  during  the  century.  Not  that  a  full  and 
healthy  Christianity  ignores  doctrine  ;  but  Christ 
viewed  in  his  completeness  has  come  to  be  re- 
garded as  the  embodiment  of  His  doctrine,  as  well 
as  the  source  of  the  life  recorded  in  the  Gospel. 
As  inclusive  of  doctrine,  life,  death,  and  resur- 
rection, Christ  became  the  centre  of  Christian 
thought  and  affection.  The  great  conflicts  of  the 
century,  especially  with  the  Tuebingen  school, 
have  brought  into  unusual  prominence  the  person 
of  Christ.  That  He  is  the  Gospel  has  become 
more  and  more  the  conviction  of  the  Christian 
world.     This  is  but  the  first  step  to  the  recognition 


172  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

of  His  work  as  personal.  In  that  work  we  have 
simply  the  expression  of  Himself.  Nothing  is 
perfunctory,  all  is  heart  and  soul  and  privilege. 
His  life  is  literally  a  sacrifice,  in  the  sense  that  in 
work  and  word,  as  well  as  in  suffering  and  death, 
He  gave  Himself.  All  who  put  their  hearts,  or  in 
other  words,  themselves  into  their  work,  under- 
stand this  element  of  sacrifice,  the  life  as  a  giving 
of  self. 

To  this  personal  work  of  the  personal  Christ 
another  personal  element  must  be  added,  namely, 
His  aim  was  personal.  The  person  was  always 
and  everywhere  His  aim  ;  and  all  else  was  but 
means  to  attain  this  end.  When  we  say  that  Jesus 
taught  the  truth,  we  are  apt  to  think  that  all  has 
been  said.  But  His  work  is  much  better  charac- 
terized by  saying  that  He  came  to  teach  men^  and 
that  He  made  truth  the  means  of  this  teaching. 
He  made  His  truth  fit  into  the  organism  of  man, 
so  that  it  might  fit  men  for  the  truth,  molding 
them  into  its  likeness  and  making  them  true. 
Jesus  built  no  churches,  established  no  particular 
institutions,  drew  up  no  constitutions  or  forms  of 
government,  gave  no  liturgy,  and  wrote  no  Gospel. 
He  simply  taught  and  trained  disciples,  made  them 
the  repository  and  embodiment  of  all  He  came  to 
accomplish  on  earth,  and  thus  finished  His  work. 
Where  was  the  church  after  the  departure  of 
Christ  ?  No  Gospel  had  been  written,  and  not  an 
external  Christian  institution  of  any  kind  existed. 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &-C.  173 

The  believers  were  the  church  and  all  there  was 
of  Christianity.  The  total  result  of  Christ's  labors 
was  their  personality  and  what  was  embodied 
therein.  Their  minds  had  been  developed  and 
had  certain  treasures  which  Christ  had  given 
them  ;  their  spirits  had  been  formed  into  His  like- 
ness. The  disciples  themselves  were  Christ-\3.n% 
and  in  them  was  found  what  there  was  of  Christ 
in  the  world.  Personality,  and  personality  only. 
They  wrote  the  Gospels,  making  them  a  record  of 
their  observation  and  experience,  a  transcript  of 
their  hearts.  They  wrote  the  Epistles,  adapting 
what  they  had  learned  and  had  become  to  peculiar 
regions,  occasions  and  persons.  They  established 
churches  and  did  the  first  work  of  Christianity 
after  their  Lord's  departure.  But  what  they 
accomplished  was  not  now  to  take  the  place  of  the 
original  work  of  Christ,  but  was  simply  to  be  the 
continuance  of  Christ's  work.  Things,  churches, 
institutions  were  not  henceforth  to  be  a  substitute 
for  the  personal  work  of  Christ,  but  these  were  to 
be  means  to  continue  that  work.  In  a  sentence 
the  apostle  Paul  concentrates  his  work :  "  I  seek 
not  yours,  but  you."  Thus  his  work,  as  that  of 
his  Master,  had  a  purely  personal  aim. 

In  this  all-absorbing,  personal  element  we  see 
the  grandeur  of  the  origin  of  Christianity  and  find 
the  condition  of  its  conquering  power.  And  it  is 
the  changes  with  respect  to  the  position  of  the  per- 
sonal element  in  religion,  which  have  marked  the 


174  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

perversions  and  the  decay  of  Christianity.  The 
perversions  have  been  of  two  kinds:  institutions 
were  thought  capable  of  doing  what  persons  alone 
could  accomplish  ;  and  something  else  than  per- 
sons was  thought  to  be  the  aim  of  Christianity. 
Thus  the  power  w^hich  exists  only  in  persons  was 
transferred  to  things.  That  abstraction  called  the 
church  was  made  omnipotent ;  institutions  were 
deemed  sacred  and  the  embodiment  of  a  sanctify- 
ing energy  ;  mere  perfunctory  acts,  so  mechanical 
that  the  personality  in  its  true  sense  was  not  en- 
listed, were  treated  as  means  of  grace.  That  the 
effect  was  deadening,  and  that  a  mechanically 
moved  corpse  took  the  place  of  the  religious  life, 
was  natural.  But  the  very  end  of  religion  was 
perverted.  Instead  of  making  the  person  the 
great  aim  of  all  religion,  so  that  every  effect  of 
religion  terminated  in  personality,  and  that  the 
personal  development  of  the  person  was  made  the 
great  purpose — this  great  aim  was  wholly  lost 
sight  of  and  is  still  largely  ignored.  The  time  is 
not  yet  past  when  a  few  were  regarded  as  persons, 
and  all  others  were  treated  as  things.  A  few  were 
lords,  whether  from  position  or  from  intellectual 
advantages ;  the  rest  wxre  domineered  over,  as  if 
they  were  but  things  to  be  mechanically  controlled. 
What  they  were  to  think,  to  believe,  and  to  do, 
was  determined  for  them,  just  as  if  they  them- 
selves had  no  intellect,  no  freedom,  no  heart,  no 
responsibility.     Then  personalities  were  treated  as 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  6-C.  175 

if  they  existed  for  dogmas,  which  dogmas  can  exist 
nowhere  but  in  persons.     Men  were  treated  as  if 
they  had  value  only  for  sacraments,  for  forms  and 
ceremonies,  for  institutions,  and  for  the  church. 
Thus,  what  was  originally  intended  to  be  means 
for  reaching  persons,  was  perverted  into  the  end, 
and  persons  were  made  the  means  for  the  attain- 
ment of  that  end.     Things  reigned,  and  persons 
were  treated  as  if  they  were  things,  and  this  com- 
pleted the  perversion  and  the  decay  of  Christianity. 
The  first  and  most  general  demand  in  order  that 
the  church  may  meet  the  needs  of  the  times  is, 
that  the  personality  receive  that  soHtary  promi- 
nence which  Christ  and  the  apostles  ascribe  to  it. 
"  Take  heed  that  ye  offend  not  one  of  these  little 
ones,"  must  be  learned  in  all  its  fulness  of  mean- 
ing.    In  religion  the  personality  is  the  reality,  and 
the  only  reality.     If  now  religion  gets  all  but  the 
personality,  it  in  reality   gets  nothing;  but  if  it 
gets  the  personality,  it  also  gets  all  that  belongs 
to  the  personality. 

A  return  from  views  and  practices  prevalent  in 
many  parts  of  Christendom  to  the  essence  of 
Christ's  teachings  and  methods  would  involve  the 
most  radical  change.  And  yet  the  times  impera- 
tively demand  that  change.  When  we  seize  the 
just  demand  of  the  times  for  objective  realism,  we 
learn  that  a  Christian  realism  alone  can  meet  this 
demand.  Real  religion  is  nothing  less  than  a  re- 
ligious personality;  and   this   real  religion  mani- 


176  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

fested  to  the  world  is  nothing  less  than  the  religious 
personality  objectified,  really  presented,  actually 
given  to  the  world. 

What  has  been  said  makes  it  evident  that  the 
person  does  not  exist  for  Scripture  ;  but  the  Scrip- 
ture, with  all  its  teachings  and  commands,  exists 
for  the  person.  The  individual  Christians  are  the 
members  which  constitute  the  body  which  is  the 
church.  Take  away  the  members,  and  where  is 
the  church  ?  The  members  are  the  church ;  and 
as  are  the  members,  so  is  the  church.  The  church 
thus  has  value  only  for  the  sake  of  the  members ; 
and  it  is  a  degradation  to  the  members  and  the 
church  to  treat  persons  as  if  they  existed  only  for 
the  church  as  an  empty  abstraction — as  if  the 
church  could  be  something  else  than  a  mere  organ- 
ism of  the  members.  Where  in  the  church  is 
Christ,  or  the  Spirit,  or  grace,  or  truth,  or  spiritual 
power,  except  in  the  believers  who  constitute  the 
church  ? 

Institutions  for  persons,  not  persons  for  institu- 
tions ;  things  for  persons,  not  persons  for  things. 
Organizations  of  persons  for  persons,  not  persons 
for  organizations,  not  organizations  as  a  substitute 
for  persons.  We  constantly  make  abstractions, 
which  are  empty  without  the  concrete  reality,  take 
the  place  of  the  concrete.  What  is  any  organiza- 
tion but  a  union  of  persons  ?  And  where  is  the 
union  when  the  persons  are  gone  ?  Organizations 
are  not  substitutes  for  personal  work,  but  means 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &-C.  177 

through  which  that  work  is  accomplished.  Organ- 
ization has  been  pronounced  the  great  power  of 
the  age.  Let  us  overthrow  this  heresy  by  affirm- 
ing that  personality  is  the  supreme  power  of  the 
age,  and  that  organization  is  valuable  solely  so  far 
as  it  recognizes,  develops,  and  directs  personality, 
and  thus  makes  the  personality  most  efficient. 
Better  dissolve  organizations  than  destroy  the 
personality. 

"  The  good  seed  are  the  children  of  the  kingdom."' 
The  kingdom  of  God  is  a  kingdom  of  persons. 

This  change  of  the  emphasis  from  institutions 
and  things  to  persons  involves  the  proper  appre- 
ciation of  all  that  is  Christian.  Doctrines  and 
commands  have  their  place ;  not,  however,  as  a 
dead  letter  or  mechanical  routine,  but  as  spirit  and 
life,  as  personality  and  actuality.  The  church  and 
all  institutions  have  significance  ;  not,  however,  in 
themselves,  but  solely  for  the  sake  of  persons.  The 
life  is  not  ignored,  but  it  is  made  real  because  it  is 
the  life  of  the  person.  Authority  is  not  superseded 
by  self-will,  but  the  authority  is  saved  from  exter- 
nal legalism  and  is  made  evangelical,  because  it 
has  become  personal.  Not  what  Christians  have 
or  profess,  or  are  esteemed  to  be,  but  what  they 
are,  is  thus  the  essential  thing  in  religion.  And 
the  essence  of  the  Christian  life  is  that  believers 
do  what  they  are.  The  life  itself  is  the  Christian 
personality  before  the  world. 

Where  the  personality  is  the  essence,  there  the 

12 


178  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

onesidedness  so  common  now  will  be  avoided. 
The  totality  of  the  being  will  be  the  main  consid- 
eration. Thus  all  the  faculties  and  powers  of  the 
soul  will  be  regarded,  and  religion  will  be  made  a 
concern  of  the  whole  man.  The  main  stress  will 
not  be  laid  on  the  intellect,  as  if  religion  were 
mainly  theology,  and  as  if  its  essence  were  a  dog- 
matic intellectuality ;  nor  on  the  feelings,  as  if  the 
substance  of  religion  could  be  foimd  in  the  inten- 
sity of  passing  emotions  ;  nor  on  practical  affairs, 
as  if  religion  were  merely  a  doing  before  the  world. 
But  religion  as  a  matter  of  the  personality  requires 
that  all  the  powers  be  harmoniously  developed  and 
exercised. 

If  the  religion  of  the  personality  is  to  be  real 
only  what  is  real  must  be  required  of  the  person. 
The  fictions  now  so  common  in  the  church  must 
be  banished.  These  fictions  pertain  chiefly  to  a 
faith  which  does  not  exist.  All  sound  education  is 
based  on  the  principle  that  the  subjects  taught 
and  the  capacity  of  the  pupil  must  harmonize. 
As  the  mind  grows,  so  the  appreciation  of  subjects 
increases.  Of  each  capacity  only  an  appreciation 
of  that  which  is  adapted  to  that  capacity  can  be 
expected. 

That  the  same  rule  applies  to  religion  is  evident ; 
and  yet  that  rule  is  constantly  ignored.  Children 
are  drilled  in  certain  religious  doctrines,  and  then 
a  confession  is  required  of  them  whose  meaning 
they  cannot  comprehend.      In  Europe  the  confir- 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &^C.  179 

mation  of  children  is  thus  largely  a  burlesque  on 
religion  ;  and  the  instruction,  given  preparatory  to 
confirmation,  has  been  declared  by  social  demo- 
crats to  be  the  most  efficient  means  for  alienating 
the  youth  from  the  church.  Religion  cannot  be 
taught ;  it  is  a  creation,  an  inspiration.  All  that 
can  be  done  by  others  is  to  teach  religious  truth 
and  to  help  a  soul  in  its  efforts  to  become  religious. 
Spirituality  is  preeminently  ethical  and  personal, 
wholly  an  act  of  the  soul  itself  ;  whatever  human 
and  divine  aids  may  be  given.  This  is  so  clear 
from  Christ's  method  with  souls  and  from  all  ex- 
perience that  it  cannot  be  questioned.  But  be- 
cause certain  doctrines  can  be  taught,  it  seems  to 
be  taken  for  granted  that  religion  itself  can  be 
taught.  Certain  doctrines  are  consciously  or  un- 
consciously substituted  for  religion,  so  that  the 
confession  of  these  doctrines  is  taken  as  proof  that 
the  confessor  is  religious.  This  is  perhaps  one  of 
the  most  radical  evils  in  the  church,  and  accounts 
for  the  discrepancy  between  the  confession  and 
the  life.  Why  lead  a  religious  life,  if  a  confession 
of  faith  is  sufficient  ? 

The  child  and  the  newly  converted  cannot  be 
expected  to  understand  more  than  the  elements  of 
Christianity  ;  and  in  their  confession  of  faith  noth- 
ing more  can  be  expected.  But  in  many  instances 
they  are  required  to  confess  what  they  cannot  pos- 
sibly understand.  They  do  not  confess  what  they 
really  believe,  but   what  the  church  thinks  they 


180  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

ought  to  believe.  And  when  later  they  find  that 
they  have  deceived  themselves,  the  reaction  may 
be  so  strong  as  to  turn  them  against  religion. 

In  order  to  avoid  this  falsehood,  faith  should  not 
be  taken  so  exclusively  in  the  sense  of  an  intel- 
lectual apprehension  of  doctrines,  but  as  inti- 
mated, more  in  the  sense  of  personal  trust  in  the 
person  of  Christ.  This  trust  can  be  exercised  by 
a  child,  while  the  doctrinal  apprehension  may  be 
very  imperfect ;  and  while  the  trust  may  be  im- 
plicit, room  can  be  left  for  the  growth  of  doctrine 
with  the  growth  of  the  child.  That  there  must  be 
some  conception  of  the  person  trusted,  and  some 
doctrine  respecting  him,  is  clear  ;  but  it  is  not  so 
clear  that  the  child,  or  even  the  grown  person,  can 
put  this  conception  in  the  form  of  a  distinct  doc- 
trinal statement. 

The  fishermen  leaving  their  nets,  Matthew  called 
from  the  receipt  of  custom,  and  many  others  in 
that  day  who  were  asked  to  believe  before  the 
Gospel  was  all  preached  and  the  redemptive  work 
completed,  could  not  possibly  know  all  about  the 
doctrines,  or  even  the  whole  character  of  Christ. 
But  they  trusted  Him  and  in  Him,  though  much 
He  said  was  obscure  to  them,  and  many  things  He 
had  yet  to  say  could  only  be  revealed  later.  Often 
their  spiritual  ignorance  was  very  marked  ;  but 
their  trust  was  unfailing.  Christ,  as  their  Epistles 
prove,  was  the  centre  of  the  faith  of  the  apostles  ; 
and  it  was  trust  in  Him  which  led  to  that  faith  as 
doctrine. 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &^C.  181 

The  age  is  not  renowned  for  its  dogmatic  prod- 
ucts. It  is  rather  given  to  the  study  of  details, 
which  are  necessary  as  a  preparation  for  the  for- 
mation of  dogmatic  systems.  The  Scriptures  are 
studied  in  fragments,  but  a  system  of  their  teach- 
ings is  not  possible  while  the  mind  is  absorbed  by 
the  preparatory  work.  It  is  not  strange  that, 
under  these  circumstances,  there  are  tendencies  in 
the  church  which  in  a  dogmatic  point  of  view 
seems  to  be  retrogressive.  The  tentative  efforts 
to  form  new  creeds,  or  to  adapt  old  ones  to  the 
present  views,  are  largely  a  failure.  The  age  is 
not  dogmatically  creative  enough  to  accomplish 
the  task  well.  Hence  men  are  afraid  to  make 
changes,  they  are  radically  conservative,  because 
they  have  not  the  ability  to  be  progressive ;  and 
because  they  cannot  create,  they  unconditionally 
accept  what  others  have  prepared.  But  much  of 
this  conservatism  has  only  the  old  creed,  not  the 
old  faith.  Confessions  are  interpreted  more  liber- 
ally and  subscribed  to  more  conditionally  than  of 
old.  The  trend  is  strong  in  certain  quarters  to 
substitute  personal  trust  in  the  person  of  Christ 
and  in  the  Father  for  the  old  elaborate,  severe,  and 
difficult  confessions. 

In  all  departments  and  in  all  respects  the  great 
aim  of  the  church,  so  far  as  the  work  of  the  age  is 
concerned,  must  be  to  attain  an  earnest  Christian 
realism.  In  its  realities,  and  in  these  alone,  will 
the  age  be  able  to  see  the  ground  for  its  existence. 


182  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

If  love  is  the  essence  of  the  church,  then  by  means 
of  its  love  the  church  must  attest  its  genuineness.. 
But  if  its  love  is  so  weak  that  it  cannot  tolerate 
the  least  honest  doctrinal  differences,  what  wonder 
if  the  world  regards  the  church  as  the  arena  for 
theological  conflicts  rather  than  as  the  home  of 
religion  ?  In  the  services  of  religion,  in  all  the 
confessions  it  makes,  in  every  doctrinal  statement^ 
in  every  institution  and  sacrament,  reality  must  be 
the  first  concern  ;  and  what  is  not  real  must  either 
be  made  so,  or  if  this  is  not  possible,  then  it  must 
be  banished.  All  this  can  be  done  without  the 
least  infringement  on  faith.  The  demand  for 
reality  is  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  conviction 
that  much  which  we  cannot  understand  may  yet 
be  true.  Faith  that  is  real  is  likewise  always  a 
learner. 

As  now  the  church  is  to  be  made  intensely,  per- 
fectl)^  real,  so  it  must  treat  men  as  they  really  are. 
For  this  purpose  the  age  itself  must  be  thoroughly 
studied.  We  are  apt  so  take  our  conceptions  of 
men  from  history,  or  from  any  other  source  rather 
than  from  men  themselves,  In  America,  in  Eng- 
land, in  Germany,  there  are  peculiarities  which 
require  peculiar  adaptations  on  the  part  of  the 
Gospel.  Christ  is  in  this  respect  the  great  model 
and  teacher.  How  He  meets  each  particular  case 
according  to  its  merits  !  That  the  church  in  differ- 
ent countries  may  thus  be  the  same  and  yet  differ- 
ent is  clear,  just  as  the  Gospel  is  ever  the  same,. 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &-C.  188 

and  yet  is  preached  according  to  the  peculiarity  of 
the  times.  Everywhere  the  church  must  adapt 
itself  to  the  actual  situation.  Hence  its  forms  are 
not  to  be  unyielding,  but  pliable,  adaptable.  The 
church  is  a  spirit  and  a  life,  so  organized  as  ever 
ready  to  adapt  itself  in  the  best  possible  manner 
to  the  needs  of  the  times-  What  was  formerly 
emphasized  may  now  be  obsolete  ;  what  was  for- 
merly unknown  may  now  be  an  especial  demand. 
Thus  the  contents  of  the  teachings  of  the  church 
are  ever  the  same,  and  yet  they  bring  out  different 
elements  of  the  Gospel  according  to  the  different 
needs.  So  different  occasions  may  require  differ- 
ent forms  of  government,  and  there  is  no  reason 
why  that  form  of  government  which  will  best 
accomplish  the  purpose  of  the  Gospel  should  not 
be  chosen.  So  at  different  times  different  kinds  of 
work  are  required,  and  the  church  should  be  pre- 
pared to  meet  the  requirement. 

Both  in  the  study  of  the  age  and  in  the  adapta- 
tion of  the  church  to  its  needs,  the  scientific  method 
must  be  adopted  as  far  as  possible.  Instead  of 
visions,  unproved  theories,  and  haphazard  methods, 
which  so  often  prevail  in  religion,  there  must  be 
empirical  investigation,  the  inductive  method, 
healthy  specialization,  for  the  sake  of  learning  the 
actual  condition  of  things  and  actually  meeting  the 
present  requirements.  He  who  fails  to  study  the 
actual  situation  which  he  wants  to  affect  by  means 
of  spiritual  truth,  is  as  foolish  as  the  farmer  who 


184  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

studies  the  seed  he  sows,  but  neither  examines  the 
soil,  nor  inquires  into  the  adaptation  of  the  seed  to 
the  soil. 

With  unmistakable  emphasis  the  signs  of  the 
times  declare  that  a  thoroughly  real  church, 
adapted  to  the  realities  of  the  day,  is  the  demand 
every  where.  That  to  the  age  as  it  is  the  church 
is  not  real,  is  the  most  serious  objection.  Honest 
men  declare  that  they  do  not  understand  the 
church  ;  that  it  makes  demands  which  they  cannot 
appreciate ;  that  it  lays  stress  on  dogmas  which 
with  the  greatest  effort  they  cannot  comprehend ; 
that  the  pulpit  deals  with  subjects  which  have  no 
significance  for  them,  and  often  in  language  be- 
yond their  comprehension  ;  religion  is  for  them  too 
much  of  the  remote  past  or  of  the  heavenly  future, 
not  a  reality  for  the  present  and  for  this  world ; 
and  that  therefore  it  is  not  a  help  in  their  anxieties 
and  struggles,  but  seems  to  them  wholly  antiquated, 
or  else  adapted  only  to  beings  different  from  them- 
selves. The  church  is  too  much  confined  to  itself 
and  to  its  own  sphere  of  ideas  to  enter  the  realm 
of  the  thoughts  of  others.  It  demands  that  men 
come  to  it ;  but  it  fails  to  go  to  them  in  the  hedges 
and  highwa3^s,  and  to  compel  them  by  its  moral 
and  spiritual  adaptation  and  power  to  come  in. 
The  church  exists  too  much  apart  from  the  age,  as 
an  institution  by  itself,  intent  on  its  own  interests, 
instead  of  apprehending  its  mission  as  the  leaven 
of  the  whole  world.     The  real  church  for  the  real 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &-C.  185 

age,  such  as  Christ  was  to  His  age,  is  the  demand. 

The  age  has  lost  the  appreciation  of  abstractions. 
Hence  the  church  as  having  its  concrete  reality  in 
its  members  must  be  emphasized.  In  what  its 
members  do  on  individuals  is  its  strength.  It  can- 
not act  otherwise  than  through  its  members  and 
on  individuals.  All  its  utterances  are  but  utter- 
ances of  individuals  in  an  organized  capacity.  We 
make  the  work  of  the  church  a  fiction,  except  so 
far  as  that  work  is  the  work  of  individuals ;  and 
we  speak  of  the  power  of  the  church  as  if  that 
power  were  a  reality  otherwise  than  as  the  power 
of  the  members  of  the  church.  As  the  efficiency 
of  the  church  then  consists  in  the  efficiency  of  the 
individuals  in  it,  the  great  aim  is  to  do  the  work  of 
the  church  through  its  members.  The  church  is 
its  members  ;  and  all  its  members  are  the  church. 
The  church  is  but  individuals  united ;  and  the 
church  at  work  is  but  the  individuals  at  work.  The 
real  power  of  the  church  is  in  the  real  power  of 
each  member.  Thus  the  work  of  the  church,  even 
in  its  organized  capacity,  is  the  work  of  individ- 
uals. This  individual  efficiency  is  the  real  demand 
now,  but  it  is  an  efficiency  which  is  to  affect  the 
whole  of  humanity. 

That  this  Christian  realism  in  adapting  itself  to 
the  age  is  not  to  lose  its  truly  Christian  elements 
ought  to  be  self-evident.  The  adaptation  to  the 
age  does  not  mean  that  Christian  truth  is  to  be 
compromised.     The  adaptation  to  the  needs  of  the 


186  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

age  means,  that  what  the  age  really  needs  is  to  be 
supplied.  The  adaptation  is  to  be  of  such  a  char- 
acter that  the  age  may  be  won  to  the  Gospel.  The 
adaptation  may  require  that  much  of  the  age  shall 
be  pronounced  false  ;  and  it  must  be  such  that  all 
that  is  false  will  be  overcome.  It  is  thus  an  adap- 
tation which  respects  the  truth  and  history  of 
Christianity,  but  which  so  applies  these  to  the  age 
that  the  age  itself  becomes  Christian.  The  church 
is  not  to  go  with  the  age ;  in  many  respects  it  may 
be  obliged  to  oppose  the  age  ;  but  as  the  teacher 
adapts  himself  to  the  capacity  and  needs  of  the 
pupil,  so  the  church  is  to  adapt  itself  to  the  capacity 
and  needs  of  the  age. 

This  return  to  the  Christian  personality,  which  is 
in  reality  a  return  to  Christ  and  the  Gospel,  in- 
volves other  considerations  of  great  importance. 
The  personality  being  esteemed  for  its  own  sake, 
it  must  under  no  pretext  be  degraded  to  a  mere 
tool.  As  an  end  in  itself,  that  personality  must 
never  be  treated  as  if  mere  means  to  attain  some 
other  end.  Many  of  the  evils  of  the  day  have 
their  origin  in  this  perversion  of  means  and  end. 
Since  the  personality  is  supreme,  its  most  complete 
and  highest  development  must  be  the  chief  aim. 
The  person  must  be  so  highly  respected  that  all 
violence  to  its  inherent  rights  is  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. The  individuality  is  to  be  unfolded  accord- 
ing to  its  own  nature.  The  diversity  which  Paul 
describes  is  life,  the  degradation  of  all  to  the  level 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &-C.  187 

of  a  common  monotony  is  death.  The  greatest  va- 
riety in  the  most  perfect  unity  belongs  to  the  ideal 
church.  Instead  of  suppressing  Christian  peculiar- 
ity in  the  interest  of  a  mechanical  sameness,  its 
utmost  perfection  and  complete  manifestation 
should  be  the  direct  aim  of  the  church.  This  in- 
dividual peculiarity  is  the  condition  of  originality 
and  the  soul  of  genius.  Instead  of  suppressing 
this  originality  in  religion,  religion  offers  the  very 
sphere  in  which  it  should  have  free  play  and  the 
greatest  encouragement.  The  divine  truth  and 
Spirit  can  be  trusted  in  their  free  influence  on  the 
free  Christian  individuality. 

But  while  the  wealth  of  Christian  peculiarity 
and  the  originality  of  Christian  genius  are  made 
objects  of  direct  and  especial  cultivation,  they  are 
to  be  free  from  all  selfishness.  The  developed  in- 
dividuality is  only  true  when  it  manifests  itself, 
when  it  acts  out  its  inherent  nature.  The  Chris- 
tian personality  is  a  leaven,  spontaneously  begin- 
ning its  leavening  process  so  soon  as  brought  into 
contact  with  meal.  It  is  the  very  nature  of  light 
to  shine,  of  salt  to  preserve  and  sweeten,  and  of 
leaven  to  work.  And  Christians  are  the  light,  the 
salt,  and  the  leaven,  of  the  world.  Thus  the  truth, 
the  Spirit,  the  love,  and  the  sympathy,  which  in 
the  believer  have  become  principle,  and  character, 
and  personality,  also  work  through  him  upon 
others,  just  as  they  work  in  and  upon  himself. 

Thus  the  true  Christian  individuality  overcomes 


188  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

the  one-sided  perversions  so  common  in  our  day. 
This  individuality  is  neither  selfish  egotism  nor 
mere  means  for  helping  others.  Just  because  it  is 
Christian  individuality,  it  is  the  truth  it  professes, 
and  it  lives  the  truth  which  it  is.  A  foreign  ele- 
ment impressed  on  my  personality  is  something 
which  I  myself  can  never  truly  be  or  live  ;  it  is  at 
best  but  a  fiction  with  a  semblance  of  reality.  But 
the  peculiarity  and  individuality  which  constitute 
the  personality,  are  its  own  peculiar  self  ;  and  the 
reality  which  the  personality  is,  must  also  be  the 
actuality  of  its  life. 

Personality,  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  Chris- 
tianity, the  reality  of  the  church,  and  the  actor  as 
well  as  the  aim  in  all  Christian  work,  the  person- 
ality restored  to  the  throne,  means  the  rights  and 
privileges  of  individuality  and  peculiarity,  but  also 
their  responsibility  and  duty.  Money,  organiza- 
tions, institutions  are  valuable  only  as  means  for 
the  use  and  for  the  influence  of  personalities.  As 
the  agents  of  personal  Christian  power  they  are  of 
great  importance ;  but  as  substitutes  for  the  per- 
sonality they  are  an  injury.  It  is  the  Christian 
personality  that  is  to  work  through  all  that  it  is, 
and  by  means  of  all  that  it  has. 

Thus  Christian  organizations  are  not  depreciated, 
but  they  are  put  into  their  right  place  and  into  the 
right  relations.  Roman  Catholicism  emphasizes 
the  externals,  even  at  the  risk  of  losing  the  heart 
of  religion  ;  Protestantism  is  at  times  in  danger  of 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &^C.  189 

SO  emphasizing  the  spirit  as  to  imply  that  it  could 
exist  without  a  body  in  this  world.     The  most  per- 
fect spirit  in  the  best  body,  but  the  body  for  the 
sake  of  the  spirit,  that  is  the  law  for  the  Christian. 
It  is  the  nature  of  the  body  through  which  the 
spirit  works,  in  which  the  adaptation  of  the  church 
to   the   times  is  largely    to   manifest    itself.     As 
thoughts  are  expressed  in  words,  as  the  spirit  has 
a  body,  so  religion  has  its  external  manifestation. 
That  form  is  best  which  most  perfectly  embodies 
and  expresses  the  spiritual  reality  of  religion.     As 
the  soul  of  religion  controls  the  body,  so  the  body 
reacts  on  the  soul.   Worship  has  a  form  and  should 
have  the  best  form  ;  but  it  should  be  free,  spon- 
taneous, with  the  movement  of  life,  not  a  mechan- 
ism or  a  monotony  or  an  empty  ceremony.   Christian 
organization  should  be  the  best ;  Christian  union 
should  be  the  most  perfect  in  its  visible  manifesta- 
tion, as  well  as  in  its  inner  essence  ;  and  Christian 
effort  should  have  the  best  means  and  the  best 
method. 

That  much,  very  much  remains  yet  to  be  done 
in  this  respect  constantly  forces  itself  on  the  atten- 
tion in  the  most  painful  manner.  The  work  treated 
as  finished,  and  therefore  not  to  be  touched,  has 
hardly  begun.  In  the  church  where  all  should  be 
life  and  growth,  with  the  free  play  of  Christian 
spontaneity,  with  the  richness  of  spiritual  peculiar- 
ity, and  with  the  originality  of  divine  genius,  a 
state  has  actually  been  attained  which  cannot  en- 


190  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

dure  and  yet  leaves  little  hope  of  a  reformation. 
It  almost  looks  as  if  nothing  but  a  revolution  would 
suffice.  A  Luther,  a  Spener,  a  Wesley,  a  Schleier- 
macher,  each  in  his  own  way,  attempted  to  make 
a  sterile,  external,  objective  Christianity  an  inner, 
subjective  Christianity.  This  same  process  is 
again  required,  a  process  which,  however,  embraces 
all  the  results  of  the  depth  and  breadth  of  past 
experience.  In  the  demand  for  objective  realism, 
the  faith  which  a  church  merely  professes  must  no 
longer  be  taken  for  the  actual  faith  of  the  church. 
The  confession  of  faith  and  the  real  faith  must  be 
distinguished.  Lying  must  cease,  and  the  truth 
must  be  spoken. 

So  great  is  the  task  of  adapting  the  church  to 
present  demands,  that  the  subject  becomes  endless 
when  once  fairly  entered.  In  Germany  the  re- 
organization of  the  church  is  one  of  the  burning 
questions.  It  must  be  reorganized  so  as  to  enable 
the  pastor  to  oversee  the  congregation  and  do  the 
pastoral  work  required ;  so  as  to  bring  the  mem- 
bers, rich  and  poor,  into  actual  contact  and  living 
sympathy  with  one  another  ;  so  as  to  develop  lay 
activity,  and  to  make  the  universal  priesthood  of 
believers  consist  in  the  duty  of  personal  Christian 
work,  as  well  as  in  the  privilege  of  direct  com- 
munion with  God  ;  and  so  as  to  make  the  church 
the  actual  leaven  of  the  community  in  which  it 
exists.  Each  congregation  is  to  be  a  parish  that 
can  actually  be  illuminated  by  the  Christian  light 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &^C.  191 

of  believers.  The  scheme  so  to  divide  into  dis- 
tricts the  whole  nation,  the  country  and  the  cities, 
that  each  congregation  may  have  a  definite  and 
limited  work,  is  a  grand  one.  How  far  the  ideal 
can  be  realized  remains  to  be  seen.  Evidently  in 
a  Christian  land  there  should  be  no  outlying  dis- 
tricts belonging  to  no  church.  Why  not  make 
parishes  of  the  whole  world  ? 

A  hearty  love  for  the  church  and  a  careful  study 
of  the  age  will  lead  to  such  adaptations  as  the 
national  and  local  peculiarities  of  the  situation  de- 
mand. A  divinely  guided  Christian  personality, 
with  spiritual  insight,  wisdom,  and  skill,  taught  by 
Scripture,  by  history,  and  by  the  needs  of  the 
times,  and  inspired  by  love  to  God  and  to  man,  will 
know  and  feel  what  is  now  required,  and  more 
than  this:  such  a  personality  is  the  truest,  the  best 
and  the  only  adaptation  of  Christianity  to  the  age. 
As  a  summary  of  the  general  requirements  for 
adapting  the  church  to  the  age,  the  following  con- 
siderations are  presented: 

I.  In  the  church,  as  imperatively  as  in  the  age, 
the  demand  for  objective  realism  must  be  made. 
The  demand  is  thoroughly  Christian ;  and  the 
church  ought  to  lead  in  insisting  on  fully  meeting 
this  demand.  It  is  a  common  observation  that  re- 
ligious doctrines  and  discussions,  formerly  interest- 
ing and  effective,  have  lost  their  influence.  The 
usual  explanation  is  that  men  have  become  worldly 
and   are   absorbed  by   other    interests.     But  this 


192  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH, 

does  not  go  to  the  root  of  the  matter.  Were  these 
doctrines  really  believed,  they  would  have  great 
power.  But  they  are  now  ineffective  because  their 
objective  realism  is  questioned,  even  by  many 
who  would  otherwise  gladly  accept  them.  They 
are  presented  to  minds  intent  on  values  and  on 
the  highest  values  ;  but  these  m.inds  ask  a  valid 
reason  for  the  faith  which  seizes  and  a  hope 
which  cherishes  values.  Thus  a  great  problem 
is  presented  to  the  church,  the  problem  of  estab- 
lishing its  teachings  so  as  to  give  them  an  im- 
movable basis.  Not  that  these  teachings  are  now 
too  subjective  ;  they  must  in  fact  be  made  more 
subjective,  more  permeative  of  the  soul,  more  real 
to  the  heart.  But  their  subjective  value  is  con- 
ditioned by  their  objective  reality.  The  doctrines 
of  God,  of  redemption,  of  immortality  are  valuable 
to  the  soul,  because  they  represent  a  reality  which 
the  soul  can  seize  and  possess.  The  construction 
of  spirituality  as  a  reality  is  therefore  required  as 
the  basis  of  all  other  constructions. 

2.  The  demand  for  realism  in  ecclesiastical 
teachings  must  also  be  made  respecting  the  church 
itself.  The  church  must  be  real  in  the  deepest 
and  most  earnest  sense.  In  its  reality  is  its  power  ; 
in  its  substitutes  for  reality  is  its  weakness.  Per- 
sonality is  its  reality.  Persons  constitute  the 
church ;  things  are  but  attachments,  bodies, 
means,  of  persons.  Scripture,  creeds,  all  truth 
are  a  reality  to  the  church,  only  so  far  as  they  are 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &-C.  193 

embodied  in  persons.  Unless  they  have  become 
personal,  they  are  at  best  only  symbols  of  truth. 
The  church  is  the  actual  repository  and  witness  of 
the  truth,  only  so  far  as  it  really  possesses  and 
lives  the  truth,  or  only  so  far  as  it  is  the  truth. 
Profession  is  not  necessarily  possession  ;  it  may  be 
a  falsehood.  The  real  creed  of  a  church  is  in  its 
members  ;  the  professed  creed,  about  which  so 
much  ado  is  made,  may  remain  a  dead  letter  on  a 
dead  page.  The  real  church  is  not  an  institution, 
but  an  organism  ;  it  is  not  a  mechanism,  but  a  cre- 
ation ;  it  is  not  a  system  of  doctrines,  but  a  system 
of  personalities  in  whom  the  doctrines  have  be- 
come spirit  and  life.  The  church,  as  a  creation  of 
spiritual  personalities  through  the  regenerative 
process  of  the  Spirit,  is  a  living  system  of  personal 
realities  and  personal  power.  As  that  church  con- 
sists of  personalities  which  are  embodiments  of 
the  truth,  the  vSpirit,  so  the  mission  of  the  church 
is  the  reaching  of  personalities  in  order  to  mold 
them  by  means  of  the  truth  into  the  truth. 

3.  The  work  of  the  church  as  a  reality  of  Chris- 
tian personalities  must  be  pedagogical,  psycho- 
logical. There  is  no  culture  of  truth  except  in  the 
culture  of  personalities.  Where  can  the  truth  be 
developed  except  in  some  mind  ?  And  how  can 
the  truth  enter  a  mind,  tmless  adapted  to  the 
capacity  and  the  apprehension  of  the  mind  ? 
What  the  hand  grasps  depends  upon  its  grip  ;  and 
what  the  mind  comprehends  depends  on  the  grip 
13 


194  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

of  the  mind.  Hence  the  teachings  of  the  church 
must  be  severely  adapted  to  the  capacity  of  the 
taught.  The  truth  grows  in  the  mind  ;  its  process 
is  organic  and  cannot  be  forced.  As  the  mind 
itself  grows,  it  also  grows  in  the  truth.  This  is  as 
clear  from  Christ's  parables  as  from  Paul's  teach- 
ing respecting  the  apprehension  of  spiritual  truth 
as  a  child  and  as  a  man.  Conversion  is  a  change 
of  spirit,  of  disposition,  the  beginning  of  an  end- 
less spiritual  process  ;  it  is  not  a  sudden,  magical 
transformation  into  all  truth  and  all  Christian  per- 
fection. It  is  the  planting  of  the  seed,  not  the 
maturing  of  the  plant ;  it  is  the  entrance  of  school, 
not  the  graduation.  The  church  is  a  school  of 
personalities  for  the  training  of  personalities.  All 
the  pupils  must  be  docile,  all  must  have  the  spirit 
of  willing  learners  ;  but  all  cannot  have  equal  in- 
tellectual apprehensions  of  the  truth.  Personal 
trust  in  the  Central  and  Creative  Personality  of 
Christianity  is  the  seed  whence  all  Christian  life 
must  spring,  and  the  beginning  of  the  understand- 
ing of  all  Christian  doctrine. 

4.  The  church  as  a  system  of  living  spiritual 
personalities  makes  all  that  pertains  to  religion 
personal.  Whatever  cannot  be  made  personal  is 
but  the  body  of  the  soul,  the  shell  of  the  kernel. 
The  church  as  a  religious  organism  has  no  reality 
except  in  its  Christian  personalities.  The  numer- 
ous modern  substitutes  for  persons,  the  undue 
exaltation  of  things,   are   perversions    which  are 


THE  ADAPTATION  OF  THE,  &-C.  195 

destructive  of  religion.  An  abstract  church,  a 
soulless  form,  the  transfer  of  grace  to  dead  things, 
rob  religion  of  its  most  essential  elements.  There 
is  no  Christian  work  but  that  like  Christ  and  the 
apostles — personal  work  directly  on  and  for  per- 
sons. The  church  as  a  personal  reality  must  pre- 
sent to  the  age  a  realism  whose  power  is  in  its 
spiritual  actuality.  The  personal  power  which 
the  church  is,  the  world  feels. 

5.  The  church  has  been  highly  endowed  by 
various  gifts,  such  as  defining  and  developing  and 
systematizing  doctrine,  and  defending  it  against 
error ;  formulating  creeds  and  producing  cate- 
chisms ;  establishing  rites ;  instituting  govern- 
ments ;  making  liturgies ;  and  creating  various 
Christian  organizations.  "  Covet  earnestly  the  best 
gifts  "  says  the  apostle.  But  he  adds  :  "  Yet  show 
I  unto  you  a  more  excellent  way."  This  more  ex- 
cellent way  is  love.  Without  this  love  the  gifts 
are  nothing.  As  the  "more  excellent  way,"  love 
is  the  inspiration,  the  guide,  the  life,  and  the  light 
of  the  gifts. 

This  chapter  treats  only  of  the  most  general 
requirements.  We  shall  now  proceed  to  consider 
the  specific  needs  of  special  conditions  and  ten- 
dencies, attempting  to  discover  what  the  church 
must  become  in  order  to  adapt  itself  to  these 
needs 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    197 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Protestantism  and  Catholicism. 

We  speak  of  a  church  as  Christian  ;  but  do  not 
think  through  the  subject  sufficiently  to  know 
what  the  statement  means.  "Christian"  repre- 
sents ideal  perfection  ;  but  even  in  its  best  state 
the  church  is  very  imperfect.  To  say  nothing  of 
the  sins  of  omission  and  of  commission,  on  the  part 
of  its  members,  its  actual  doctrines  are  not  the 
absolute  truth  in  absolute  perfection.  In  its  teach- 
ings and  in  its  life  the  church  is  tentatively  Chris- 
tian. It  is  a  hospital  and  a  school,  with  a  blending 
of  health  and  sickness,  and  a  union  of  truth  and 
error.  It  is  only  the  abstract  church  which  has 
the  absolute  truth ;  this  church  we  cheerfully 
leave  to  its  abstract  existence.  We  want  to  deal 
with  the  real  church  in  the  discussion  of  Protest- 
antism and  Catholicism.  And  when  we  consider 
any  existing  church,  we  are  sure  to  find  it  a  com- 
bination of  excellencies  and  imperfections. 

This  is  not,  however,  the  only  conviction  which 
is  prominent,  as  we  enter  on  the  consideration  of 
Protestantism  and  Catholicism.  The  subject  ex- 
cites  intense    feeling    and    deep    prejudice ;     the 


198  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH, 

utmost  care  should  therefore  be  taken  to  state  the 
truth,  the  full  truth,  and  the  truth  only.  Not  only 
does  the  true  man  owe  it  to  himself,  and  to  the 
cause  he  represents  and  discusses,  that  he  tell  the 
truth ;  but  he  ought  to  rest  assured  that  all  false 
statements  will  be  exposed,  and  will  eventually 
work  injury  to  the  cause  they  are  intended  to  pro- 
mote. But  with  the  most  earnest  desire  to  state 
only  the  truth,  the  limitations  of  knowledge  and 
an  unconscious  bias  may  lead  the  fairest  mind 
astray.  The  very  desire  not  to  overstate  a  case 
may  produce  understatement.  Ranke  was  suspi- 
cious that  his  History  of  the  Popes  might  be  too 
unfavorable  to  Protestants,  just  because  he,  being 
himself  a  Protestant,  was  so  extremely  anxious 
not  to  be  unjust  to  Catholicism.  Protestant  schol- 
arship can  not  only  afford  to  be  fair  to  antagonists, 
but  it  must  be  so  if  true  to  itself.  Its  attacks  on 
an  opponent  must  be  based  on  the  proper  appre- 
ciation of  the  opponent. 

The  views  here  given  of  Roman  Catholicism  are 
the  result  of  a  long  and  careful  study  of  the  pres- 
ent condition,  as  well  as  of  the  past  history  of  that 
church.  Besides  a  long  residence  in  the  United 
States  and  Germany,  the  author  has  been  in  Italy 
five  times,  has  by  personal  visits  and  study  formed 
a  knowledge  of  the  situation  in  Great  Britain, 
France,  Austria,  and  Scandinavia,  and  has  taken  a 
deep  interest  in  the  ultramontane  literature  and 
tendencies  of  the  day.      Inductions  on  this  broad 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    19^ 

basis  have  led  to  conclusions  which  are  likely  to 
conflict  with  those  dependent  on  purely  local  cir- 
cumstances. The  result  of  this  study  is  the  con- 
viction that  the  papacy  is  much  stronger,  and  at 
the  same  time  much  weaker  than  is  usually  sup- 
posed ;  that  is  is  better  than  its  enemies  represent, 
and  worse  than  abstract  thinkers,  historical  minds, 
and  mystical  religionists  are  apt  to  admit ;  and 
that  it  has  some  elements  which  give  it  an  im- 
mense practical  advantage  over  certain  phases  of 
Protestantism,  particularly  where  Protestantism  is 
a  state  church.  Roman  Catholicism  is  a  wonderful 
institution,  requiring  the  profoundest  study  and 
the  most  thorough,  impartial  criticism.  So  great 
is  it  that  many  are  lost  in  the  massiveness  of  a 
mere  fragment,  and  imagine  they  see  in  that  frag- 
ment the  whole  structure.  Especially  important 
is  it  to  remember,  that  it  is  only  on  the  stream  of 
truth  that  error  can  be  transmitted  from  age  to 
age.  It  is  well  again  to  consider  that,  according 
to  its  original  idea.  Protestantism  is  emphatically 
a  religion  of  the  personality,  and  of  organizations 
in  which  the  personality  is  the  chief  factor.  The 
Reformers  were  not  always  true  to  this  idea  ;  but 
their  emphasis  on  personal  freedom,  on  the  rights 
of  reason,  and  on  the  living  character  of  faith 
involved  this  supremacy  of  the  personality.  If 
Catholicism  may  be  defined  as  an  idea,  which  is 
apt  to  dominate  most  completely  such  as  under- 
stand it  most  imperfectly.  Protestantism  is  an  idea, 


200  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

whose  dominion  is  possible  only  where  it  is  rightly 
apprehended  by  the  individual.  In  Catholicism 
the  church  comes  first :  institutionalism  is  its 
power  ;  in  Protestantism  the  personality  is  first. 
It  in  fact  requires  unusual  personal  development 
for  one  to  be  able  to  appreciate  the  fundamental 
principles  emphasized  by  the  Reformation ;  and 
those  who  move  on  a  low  plane  of  religious  cul- 
ture may  profess  to  be  Protestants,  while  in  reality 
they  are  controlled  by  the  leaven  of  Roman  Cath- 
olicism. 

Not  merely  in  its  attainments,  but  still  more  in 
its  essence,  consists  the  value  of  all  that  has  life 
and  growth.  In  the  inherent  quality  of  the  seed 
and  in  the  possibilities  in  the  development  of  that 
seed  its  value  consists.  Not  in  its  greatest  extent 
and  widest  worldly  influence  is  the  perfection  of 
religion  seen  ;  but  in  Christ  we  behold  its  beauty 
and  its  glory. 

We  must  apply  the  same  rule  to  Protestantism. 
It  is  a  seed,  a  life,  that  is  ever  to  unfold  greater 
power  and  more  beautiful  perfection.  It  is  the 
greatest  compliment  to  Evangelical  Christianity, 
that  it  is  full  of  unrealized  possibilities.  Its  truth, 
its  faith,  its  love,  its  work,  its  hope,  all  are  living 
seeds.  So  the  greatest  glory  of  Protestantism  is 
found  in  its  vital  principles  and  its  spirit  of  endless 
growth.  The  Protestant  ideal  must  always  tran- 
scend the  actual  attainments.  Thus  the  Scriptures, 
as  the  basis  of  Protestantism,  are  to  be  interpreted 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    201 

in  the  process  of  the  ages  ;  and  what  the  Scriptures 
are  ideally,  they  are  more  and  more  to  become 
actually  and  really  to  the  church  through  the  un- 
ceasing labors  of  Christians.  The  truth  alone  is. 
absolute ;  hence  for  all  coming  time  truth  is  the 
object  of  supreme  search.  Reason  and  conscience 
are  pronounced  free ;  and  yet  that  is  only  ideally 
true,  the  actual  freedom  is  still  a  hope,  a  matter 
for  endless  effort.  It  is  thus  evident,  that  the 
principles  of  the  Reformation  have  significance 
only  where  the  emphasis  is  placed  on  the  person- 
ality and  on  the  progress  of  the  individual.  Protest- 
antism stands  for  an  ideal  spirituality  which  cannot 
be  fully  expressed  by  any  intellectual  formula ; 
and  the  Christian  life  is  a  process  of  growth  toward 
this  ideal  spirituality.  So  Christ  is  made  the  centre 
of  Scripture  and  the  ground  of  justification ;  but 
that  does  not  mean  that  the  doctrine  of  Christ  has 
now  been  exhausted,  and  that  He  has  ceased  to  be 
the  problem  of  the  ages.  Protestantism  is  a  grand 
prophecy,  ever  to  be  fulfilled,  and  yet  never  ful- 
filled ;  and  such  as  take  the  prophecy  itself  as 
the  fulfilment  have  never  understood  even  the 
prophecy. 

In  a  preceding  chapter  it  has  been  intimated  that 
Protestantism  is  a  problem,  not  a  solution.  Those 
who  regard  it  as  a  solution  must  pronounce  Protest- 
ism  a  failure,  just  as  all  ideals  are  a  failure  in  real 
life.  And  v/hile  the  world  stands  Protestantism 
will  remain  a  problem.     But  that  attests  its  gran- 


203  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

deur.^  Great  creative  periods  plan  more  than  they 
themselves  or  succeeding  generations  can  execute 
They  are  like  Michel  Angelo  ;  with  all  their  achieve- 
ments, they  begin  much  more  than  they  can  com- 
plete. Some  so  pervert  the  Reformation  as  not 
only  to  regard  it  as  a  pool  instead  of  a  fountain, 
but  they  think  that  the  pool  is  to  be  transmitted 
from  age  to  age.  Shall  he  who  prefers  living  water 
to  the  stagnant  pool  be  anathema  ? 

From  its  origin  to  the  present,  Protestantism  has 
teemed  with  problems.  The  freedom  of  the  Bible 
and  of  faith  is  an  ideal  never  yet  realized.  With 
most  persons  it  is  nothing  but  an  empty  theory 
that  each  Christian  is  to  interpret  Scripture  for 
himself ;  every  body  knows  that  people  usually 
read  their  Bible  through  the  spectacles  of  others, 
through  tradition,  through  custom,  through  their 
sect,  and  through  the  accepted  authorities.  The 
Reformation  solved  much  for  itself ;  but  we  must 
work  out  its  solutions  for  ourselves,  if  we  want  to 
understand  and  test  them.  Only  he  who  works 
through  the  problems  of  Newton  can  understand 
Newton's  solutions.  Still  more  is  this  true  with 
all  religious  problems.  It  is  the  mission  of  every 
age  to  seek  for  itself  the  solution  of  the  Protestant 
problems  and  the  realization  of  the  Protestant 
ideals. 

Protestantism  is  at  a  great  advantage  in  that  its 
very  principles  contain  the  conditions,  as  well  as 
the  demand  for  the  correction  of  error.     Enough 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    20S 

of  the  protesting  element  is  left  to  protest  against 
the  error  still  found  in  its  midst.  So  fully  is 
Protestantism  devoted  to  truth  as  the  aim  of 
search,  that  it  cannot  be  tethered  to  exposed  error, 
however  dearly  cherished,  and  cannot  rest  until  it 
exposes  all  error.  Progress  in  truth,  and  through 
error  to  truth,  is  the  very  life  of  Protestantism. 
Hence  it  is  not  strange  that  with  the  growth  of  the 
ages  the  ideas  of  truth,  right,  freedom,  personality, 
reason,  authority.  Scripture,  have  grown  in  clear- 
ness and  definiteness.  The  living  tree  may  have 
dead  or  wild  branches  that  must  be  lopped  off; 
and  new  growths  may  be  possible,  which  shall 
greatly  surpass  all  past  development. 

Not  less  freely  than  it  removes  error  can  Protest- 
antism assimilate  the  truth  wherever  it  may  be 
found.  There  is  no  more  reason  for  rejecting  a 
truth  taught  by  a  heathen,  or  an  atheist,  than  there 
is  for  clinging  to  an  error  advocated  by  a  Luther 
or  a  Calvin.  Error  can  never  be  glorified  by  its 
possessor,  or  by  the  system  to  which  it  belongs ; 
and  truth  is  always  divine,  no  matter  who  dis- 
covered it.  The  whole  universe  of  truth  is  thus 
open  to  Protestants.  Every  consideration  should 
lead  them  to  learn  eagerly  from  Catholicism  what- 
ever lessons  of  value  it  may  have  to  teach. 

We  cannot  doubt  that  the  Protestant  principles 
embody  the  essence  of  Christianity,  and  contain 
the  conditions  which  necessarily  lead  to  the  most 
complete  apprehension  of  the  Gospel.    That  Scrip- 


204  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

ture  is  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice ;  that 
faith  in  Jesns  Christ  is  the  condition  of  justifica- 
tion ;  that  reason  and  conscience  are  free,  and  that 
therefore  the  personality  with  its  individuality  and 
peculiarity  ought  to  be  respected ;  and  that  each 
believer  has  direct  access  to  God  through  Christ: 
these  are  truths  which  will  ever  constitute  the 
glory  and  the  strength  of  Christianity.  But  growth 
may  be  expected  in  the  interpretation  of  Scripture, 
in  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  apprehen- 
sions of  reason,  conscience,  and  the  personality, 
and  in  the  clearness  and  intimacy  of  communion 
with  God.  There  is  thus  an  admirable  union  of 
the  permanent  and  the  growing  elements  in  Prot- 
estantism. The  essence,  the  spirit,  and  the  life  re- 
main the  same  ;  but  the  same  spirit  and  life  grow, 
and  therefore  are  subject  to  the  transformations 
common  to  all  that  lives.  As  the  knowledge  of 
Scripture  increases,  the  old  scriptural  test  of  doc- 
trine continues,  and  yet  it  is  a  new  test,  a  new  cor- 
rective of  error,  with  impulses  to  fresh  growth. 

Protestantism  is  life,  energy,  movement,  a  faith, 
a  hope,  an  effort ;  it  is  an  ideal  ever  tending  toward 
realization.  Its  leaven  remains  the  same,  but  it 
ever  begins  anew  its  process  in  fresh  meal,  and  its 
work  is  too  great  ever  to  be  completed.  As  an 
ideal  ever  approaching  realization,  it  is  similar  to 
Christianity  itself.  When  has  this  ever  been 
realized  on  earth  ?  As  a  realization  of  its  ideal, 
Protestantism,  as  we  have  seen,  is  a  failure  and 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    205 

ever  will  be,  just  as  Christianity  itself,  just  as  every 
great  ideal  is,  just  as  Paul's  life,  as  not  yet  having- 
attained,  was  a  failure.  What  has  been  called  the 
failure  of  Protestantism  may  be  a  testimony  to  its 
grandeur.  No  amount  of  vituperation  can  degrade 
a  summit  because  it  is  so  high  that  men  fail  to 
reach  it. 

In  its  culmination  the  power  and  weakness  of  a 
system  become  manifest ;  then  the  wheat  and  the 
tares  can  be  distinguished.  ''By  their  fruits  ye 
shall  know  them."  In  its  latest  decrees  Roman 
Catholicism  has  culminated  ;  and  that  culmination, 
we  are  persuaded,  is  the  beginning  of  the  end. 
Papal  Infallibility  is,  as  the  Jesuits  claim,  unques- 
tionably the  logic  of  the  whole  system  ;  but  it  is  a 
fatal  logic.  Scripture,  reason,  and  the  very  his- 
tory of  the  popes  put  the  seal  of  condemnation 
upon  the  doctrine.  It  is  not  fatal  to  this  church 
that,  as  it  now  is,  it  has  no  room  for  so  deep,  so 
broad,  so  sincere,  and  so  Catholic  a  scholar  as 
Doellinger;  but  the  fact  is  fatal  that  it  cannot 
make  room  for  such  a  scholar,  without  going  back 
on  decrees  which  it  has  pronounced  final.  In  other 
words,  only  by  destroying  itself  can  Roman  Catho- 
licism save  itself.  All  Protestant  polemics  against 
Rome  are  weakness  itself  compared  with  the  sim- 
ple publication  of  papal  decrees,  encyclicals,  and 
statements  of  Roman  Catholic  authors.  No  argu- 
ment against  the  papacy  is  equal  to  the  exposition 
of  the  papacy  by  its  advocates. 


206  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Fairness  requires  that  a  distinction  be  made  be- 
tween Roman  Catholics  and  ultramontanes.  Ro- 
man Catholicism  designates  the  historic  system, 
which  has  many  doctrinal  elements  in  common 
with  Protestantism  ;  but  ultramontanism  empha- 
sizes those  elements  which  are  most  antagonistic 
to  Evangelical  Christianity,  and  which  have  been 
developed  in  direct  antagonism  to  Protestantism. 
These  are  found  mainly  in  the  decrees  of  the  coun- 
cils of  Trent  and  of  the  Vatican.  Thus  especial 
stress  is  laid  on  the  infallibility  and  supremacy  of 
the  pope,  on  the  authority  of  the  church  or  the 
hierarchy,  on  the  appeal  to  tradition,  on  the  power 
of  the  keys,  and  similar  doctrines.  Since  all  that 
antagonizes  Protestantism  is  emphasized,  ultra- 
montanism inflames  the  zeal  of  Roman  Catholics 
against  Protestants.  In  this  spirit  of  ultramon- 
tanism the  Jesuits  are  the  leaders. 

While  Roman  Catholicism  must  be  distinguished 
from  ultramontanism,  we  must  nevertheless  recog- 
nize the  latter  as  now  the  controlling  power.  It 
rules  the  Vatican  and  domineers  the  church.  In 
Europe  the  papal  press  is  under  the  supervision  of 
the  bishops  ;  and  the  bishops  are  as  a  rule  under 
the  control  of  the  Jesuits.  This  determines  the 
character  of  the  press :  it  is  ultramontane,  intensely 
hostile  to  Protestantism,  and  intent  on  destroying 
Evangelical  Christianity. 

Among  the  most  astounding  events  of  modem 
times  is  the  marvelous  revival  of  Roman  Catho- 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    207 

licism,  all  in  the  spirit  of  ultramontanism — a  re- 
vival which  until  recently  was  deemed  impossible. 
This  revival  must  be  made  a  specialty  if  its  char- 
acter, its  depth,  its  intensity,  its  determination,  its 
zeal,  and  its  hopefulness  are  to  be  appreciated. 

The  revival  means  a  burning  zeal  for  the  dis- 
tinctive doctrines  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church 
and  for  the  destruction  of  its  opponents.  Numer- 
ous factors  have  combined  to  bring  about  the  re- 
vival. Leo  XIII.  is  able  and  sagacious  ;  and  still 
more  shrewd  are  the  Jesuits,  the  power  behind  the 
pope.  The  new  dogmas  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception and  of  Papal  Infallibility  became  centres 
around  which  zeal  concentrated.  The  loss  ot  tem- 
poral sovereignty,  and  the  Prussian  May  laws  of 
1875,  were  used  to  the  utmost  to  represent  the 
Catholic  church  as  a  martyr.  This  inflamed  and 
united  the  Catholics  ;  and  though  the  May  laws 
have  been  repealed,  the  Catholic  Centre  is  to-day 
by  far  the  strongest  political  party  in  Protestant 
Germany,  with  more  members  in  parliament  than 
any  other  party,  and  with  a  spirit  that  is  thoroughly 
ultramontane.  The  growth  of  infidelity  usually  re- 
acts in  favor  of  the  papacy ;  in  their  agony  of 
doubt,  a  church  that  professes  to  give  absolute 
certainty  is  apt  to  become  a  welcome  refuge  for 
those  agitated  by  uncertainty,  particularly  if  they 
lack  the  strength  to  solve  the  problems  which  no 
one  else  can  solve  for  them.  Amid  the  revolu- 
tionary agitations  of  socialism  Roman  Catholicism 


208  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

presents  its  claims  as  the  only  possible  saviour  of 
society.  The  loud  boast  that  the  Pope  is  the  ruler 
of  the  world  seemed  to  receive  confirmation,  when 
the  first  statesman  of  the  age  appealed  to  him  to 
arbitrate  between  Germany  and  Spain,  and  when 
Protestant  sovereigns  vied  with  Catholic  rulers  in 
honoring  the  Pope  at  the  celebration  of  his  jubilee. 
Amid  the  great  progress  of  historic  studies  Catholic 
historians  have  done  their  utmost  to  bring  to  light 
the  glories  of  Catholicism,  while  all  that  learning 
could  do  to  degrade  Protestantism  was  done  with 
zeal.  Nor  must  the  fact  be  overlooked  that  Prot- 
estantism revealed  gi*eat  weaknesses.  It  had 
scarcely  any  international  bonds,  was  divided  and 
distracted,  its  different  factions  were  intent  on  de- 
stroying each  other,  and  petty  disputes  wasted  the 
best  energies,  while  the  great  themes  were  ignored. 
Roman  Catholicism  became  so  strong,  because 
Protestantism  was  so  weak.  We  must  interpret 
the  revival  as  an  awakening  of  the  Catholic  con- 
sciousness, as  an  appreciation  of  the  situation,  and 
as  an  adaptation  of  the  church  to  the  situation. 
It  became  conscious  of  the  process  of  decay  to 
which  it  was  subject,  and  its  very  needs  aroused 
its  energies.  Such  has  been  the  actual  progress 
of  that  church,  that  it  reveals  far  more  wisdom  in 
its  study  and  use  of  the  age  than  is  done  by  Prot- 
estantism. 

While  Protestants  rest  securely  and  indifferently 
in  the  superiority  of  their  principles,  the  Catholics 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    209 

have  put  into  motion  all  the  powerful  machinery 
of  the  orders,  the  hierarchy,  and  the  laity,  to  en- 
sure victory  for  ultramontane  views.  This  has 
been  done  with  a  resoluteness  and  a  consistency 
which  are  worthy  of  emulation.  "  Never  for  the 
sake  of  gaining  a  present  advantage  do  we  aban- 
don a  principle,"  is  the  declaration  of  the  recently 
deceased  Catholic  leader  in  Germany  ;  and  so  they 
push  their  claims  step  by  step,  until  every  one  is 
wrested  even  from  Protestant  governments.  The 
pope  is  proclaimed  supreme,  and  so  in  honor  he  is 
always  placed  first,  and  the  ruler  of  a  land,  second. 
The  church  is  held  to  be  superior  to  the  state  in 
point  of  all  ecclesiastical  affairs,  and  therefore  is 
arrayed  against  the  state  when  its  wishes  are  not 
met.  The  inquisition  is  glorified,  even  in  Protest- 
ant Germany,  as  a  beneficent  institution.  The 
Jesuits  are  proclaimed  the  purest  of  modern  saints, 
and  their  return  is  imperatively  demanded.  In 
the  very  land  of  Luther  the  Reformation  is  de- 
nounced as  the  source  of  modern  corruptions. 
Protestantism  is  proclaimed  a  traitor,  and  Roman 
Catholicism  made  synonymous  with  German  patri- 
otism. A  regular  system  has  been  made  of  writ- 
ing biographies  of  celebrated  authors  in  such  a 
way  as  to  attribute  all  that  is  good  in  them  to 
Catholicism,  and  to  trace  all  that  is  base  to  Prot- 
estantism. 

In    Prussia,   the   leading   state  of    the   German 
empire,  nearly  two-thirds  of   the  inhabitants  are 
14 


210  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Protestant.  From  the  Catholic  clergy  who  refused 
to  obey  the  May  laws  of  1875  the  state  withheld 
their  usual  allowance.  The  amount  thus  withheld 
is  over  sixteen  million  marks,  or  four  million 
dollars.  The  May  laws  have  been  repealed,  and 
the  ultramontanes  celebrated  the  victory  over  Bis- 
marck, over  the  Protestants,  and  over  the  state, 
and  rejoice  in  greater  privileges  than  are  granted 
to  the  Evangelical  or  state  church.  And  this  is 
not  all.  The  sixteen  million  marks,  which  the 
state  surely  does  not  owe  to  those  who  violate  its 
laws,  have  been  voted  to  the  Catholic  church.  It 
looks  like  an  enormous  premium  for  defying  the 
laws  of  the  land.  The  plea  is  that  this  sum  must 
be  given  to  the  defiant  church,  in  order  that  the 
way  may  be  prepared  for  peace.  That  church 
threatens  hostility  unless  this  demand  is  complied 
with,  so  the  money  is  given.  Not  that  peace  is 
now  secured  ;  the  pope  and  the  ultramontanes  say 
it  is  but  the  beginning  in  complying  with  the  con- 
ditions of  peace.  Other  demands  must  be  met 
before  that  church  will  cease  its  hostility  to  the 
state.  It  wants  the  Jesuits  back,  it  insists  on  the 
control  of  the  schools  where  there  are  Catholics. 
Some  feel  that  such  a  reward  to  a  disobedient 
body  will  only  feed  its  avarice  and  weaken  the 
authority  of  the  state.  But  when  the  donation  of 
this  large  sum  was  discussed,  Protestants  were 
warned  to  be  quiet,  to  yield  implicitly  to  the  de- 
mand,  otherwise   the  ultramontane  wrath  would 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    211 

again  be  aroused  !  People  are  actually  beginning 
to  wonder  whether  there  is  any  Protestant  con- 
sciousness left,  and  whether  the  state  is  henceforth 
to  be  controlled  by  the  defiance  and  threats  of 
ultramontanism.  And  this  is  Prussia,  which  con- 
tains Eisleben,  where  stood  the  cradle  and  the 
coffin  of  Luther,  Erfurt,  where  Luther  was  edu- 
cated, and  Wittenberg,  the  scene  of  the  Refor- 
mation ! 

The  intellectual  element  in  the  revival  is  worthy 
of  note.  The  Catholic  press  has  grown  astonish- 
ingly in  numbers,  in  circulation,  and  in  ultramon- 
tane character.  In  Germany,  where  contact  with 
Protestantism  has  made  Catholic  theology  more 
learned  than  in  any  other  land,  the  literary  activity 
of  ultramontane  writers  is  astounding.  Histor- 
ical, biographical,  apologetic,  and  polemic  works 
abound,  many  of  them  masterly  productions  of 
the  Jesuits  and  admirably  adapted  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  their  special  end.  Falsehoods  are 
continually  exposed  by  the  superior  scholarship  of 
the  Protestants  ;  but  the  exposition  does  not  reach 
the  Catholics.  Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  that 
church  is  now  glorified  as  the  mother  of  freedom, 
the  advocate  and  protector  of  reason,  the  source  of 
science  and  philosophy,  and  the  inspiration  and 
the  guide  of  modern  progress.  For  the  special 
literary  needs  of  ultraraontanism  there  always 
seem  to  be  scholars  and  money  in  greatest  abun- 
dance.    It  is  a  most  serious  blunder  on  the  part  of 


212  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH, 

Protestants  to  overlook  the  wonderful  literary  and 
learned  ability  of  writers,  whose  services  are 
wholly  given  to  the  interests  of  nltramontanism. 

The  sphere  of  the  revival  is  coextensive  with 
the  Catholic  church,  but  it  is  most  intense  in  Prot- 
estant lands.  Statistics  show  that  it  is  common 
for  a  church  in  the  minority  to  display  unusual 
zeal.  Possession  seems  to  beget  security,  if  not 
indifference.  The  losses  of  the  papacy  have  been 
most  serious  where  its  supremacy  has  never  been 
disputed,  and  where  it  has  had  fullest  liberty  and 
power  to  manifest  its  real  character  :  Italy.  Hardly 
less  is  the  papacy  detested  in  France.  But  in  Italy 
Protestantism  is  a  distracted  handful,  and  in  France 
it  has  not  become  the  leaven  of  the  people.  Mere 
religious  negation  will  not,  however,  satisfy.  In 
both  countries  clericalism  is  being  more  united 
and  concentrated,  and  it  is  justly  feared,  that  the 
demand  for  some  form  of  religion  will  mean  a 
return  to  Roman  Catholicism. 

In  Protestant  countries  the  revival  is  strong  in 
Switzerland  and  Holland.  Scandinavia,  with  its 
almost  unbroken  Lutheranism  has  become  a  favor- 
ite mission  field  for  Roman  Catholic  propagandists. 
But  nowhere  is  the  power  of  nltramontanism  more 
evident  than  in  Germany.  Protestant  governments 
make  concession  after  concession  to  the  Catholics. 
Many  of  the  leading  Protestants  utter  notes  that 
express  despair.  Indeed,  the  ultramontane  press 
exults  over  the  many  victories  gained.     The  bold 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    213 

and  united  front  and  the  dogged  perseverance  of 
the  Catholics  have  won  admiration  even  from  the 
liberals.  The  Protestants  are  politically  divided 
and  ecclesiastically  distracted,  so  that,  although 
they  have  two-thirds  of  the  population,  they  do  not 
make  Protestantism  as  strong  an  external,  political 
factor  as  is  Roman  Catholicism.  The  revival  is 
inner,  intensifying  the  Catholics,  but  not  as  yet 
winning  many  from  the  ranks  of  Protestantism. 
During  the  century  the  converts  on  the  Continent 
to  Rome  have  been  especially  numerous  on  the 
part  of  princes  and  the  nobility.  But  the  effect  of 
the  revival  is  evident  from  the  serious  appre- 
hensions of  Protestants. 

In  Great  Britain  there  are  also  marked  evidences 
of  the  revival.  Of  those  who  have  gone  over  to 
Rome  many  were  prominent  as  Anglican  clergy- 
men and  noblemen.  The  High  Church  party, 
which  has  led  such  large  numbers  into  the  Catholic 
fold,  has  become  so  extreme,  that  those  who  reject 
the  Protestant  name  can  find  satisfaction  in  that 
party  without  going  to  Rome. 

The  greatest  hopes  of  the  church  are  centered 
on  the  United  States.  The  freedom  of  that  people 
is  regarded  as  the  most  favorable  soil  for  Roman 
Catholicism.  The  Protestants  are  apt  to  trust  in 
their  free  principles  and  to  regard  them  as  self- 
preservative.  This  indifferentism  affords  a  great 
advantage  to  Jesuitic  zeal  and  wisdom,  and  to  hier- 
archical aspirations.     The  freedom  of  the  United 


214  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

States  Rome  uses  to  the  utmost  for  itself.  It 
can  there,  as  every  where,  become  a  political  fac- 
tor, and  can  hold  the  balance  of  power  and  dic- 
tate its  terms.  Of  its  work  and  plans  it  will  let  its 
enemies  know  only  as  much  as  it  thinks  best.  It 
wisely  trains  its  children  in  its  own  schools,  and 
thus  makes  them  more  intensely  Roman  Catholic 
than  the  other  children  are  Protestant.  The  pos- 
session of  America  is  the  key  to  the  western  conti- 
nent, and  it  virtually  secures  the  dominion  of  a 
large  part  of  the  world.  The  prize  is  worth  covet- 
ing— that  the  Jesuits,  who  flock  there  when  ban- 
ished from  Europe  know  full  well.  Prophecy  is 
cheap  ;  but  we  know  that  the  confidence  of  success 
is  a  great  inspiration  to  Roman  propagandism. 
Already  the  power  gained,  especially  in  many  of 
the  leading  cities  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco^ 
is  greater  than  is  usually  supposed.  It  appears 
now  far  more  probable,  that  in  the  middle  of  the 
next  century  Rome  will  control  the  United  States^ 
than  it  seemed  twenty,  or  even  ten  years  ago,  that 
ultramontanism  would  secure  its  present  power  in 
Germany.  If  in  1883,  when  the  Luther  jubilee 
flooded  the  cotmtry  with  literature  on  the  Refor- 
mation and  aroused  the  greatest  enthusiasm,  a 
prophet  had  foretold  the  victories  Rome  has  now 
gained  in  Germany,  he  would  have  been  pro- 
claimed a  madman.  Bismarck  refused  to  go  to 
Canossa,  then  went  to  Rome  in  order  to  induce  the 
pope  to  mediate  between  Germany  and  Spain.     If 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    215 

Rome  continues  its  revival  and  Protestantism  its 
apathy,  the  doom  of  the  latter  is  sealed.  However^ 
there  are  signs  that  the  Protestants  in  Germany 
are  being  aroused  to  the  dangers  of  the  situation. 
They  have  organized  an  Alliance  for  self-protec- 
tion and  to  repel  the  aggressions  of  ultramontanism. 
The  author  formerly  sided  with  such  Protestants 
as  believed  that,  especially  in  the  United  States, 
Roman  Catholicism  will  necessarily  undergo  a 
great  transformation.  This  hope  was  based  on 
theories  of  progress,  on  the  influence  of  American 
Protestantism,  and  the  effect  produced  by  free  in- 
stitutions. Very  reluctantly  he  has  been  obliged 
to  change  his  views.  More  careful  study  and  more 
extensive  observation  have  convinced  him,  that 
after  what  has  occurred  in  Prussia,  in  Plolland,  in 
Scandinavia,  and  in  England,  there  is  but  little 
prospect  of  a  serious  modification  of  Catholicism 
in  the  United  States.  So  long  as  that  church  ex- 
ists the  pope  will  be  its  head ;  for  many  years 
emigration,  chiefly  from  Catholic  lands,  will  con- 
tinue ;  a  large  number  of  the  priests  will  be  edu- 
cated abroad,  especially  in  Rome  ;  the  children 
will  be  kept  out  of  the  public  schools  ;  and  the 
head  and  the  heart  of  that  church  will  stand  aloof 
from  the  life  and  progress  of  the  United  States, 
outside  of  it,  foreign  to  it.  Changes  may  occur  in 
individual  members  ;  but  the  church  itself  must 
be  destroyed  before  its  ultramontanism,  now  de- 
creed its  very  essence,  can  be  destroyed.     What 


216  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

hope  of  change  for  the  better  can  be  expected  of 
a  church  submitting  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Immac- 
ulate Conception  and  Papal  Infallibility!  The 
bigotry,  superstition  and  fanaticism  possible  in  the 
midst  of  the  most  enlightened  Protestants  on  the 
Continent  are  also  possible  in  the  United  States. 
The  supposed  garment,  bone,  or  blood  of  a  saint 
would  awaken  boundless  enthusiasm  and  devotion. 
Were  an  American  prelate  to  become  pope,  he 
would  as  likely  become  a  fanatical  tool  of  the 
Jesuits  as  did  the  liberal  Pius  IX.  Those  who 
think  Rome  will  change  in  America  do  not  know 
Rome.  Tliere  are  in  fact  strong  grounds  for  ex- 
pecting an  unusual  development  of  ultramontane 
power  in  the  United  vStates.  Not  the  religion  but 
the  political  maneuver  of  that  church  is  the  menace. 
It  is  to-day  the  greatest,  the  most  determined,  and 
the  most  successful  political  machinery  on  the  face 
of  the  globe.  This  the  Vatican  knows  ;  this  Bis- 
marck felt  and  Germany  experiences ;  this  the 
ever-vigilant  Catholic  lobby  at  Washington  con- 
firms ;  this  our  political  parties  have  learned  ;  and 
of  this  the  nomination  and  election  of  congressmen 
and  state-officers  give  revelations  so  ominous,  that 
most  Protestants  are  not  yet  sufficiently  awake  to 
believe  them.  It  is  certainly  significant  that  on 
the  recognition  of  the  French  Republic  by  the 
pope,  the  Vatican  organs  at  Rome  claim  for  the 
pope  an  infallible  auth(jrity  in  political  as  well  as 
in  religious  matters. 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    217 

The  elements  of  power  in  Roman  Catholicism 
deserve  careful  study.  To  the  injury  of  their 
cause,  many  Protestants  fail  wholly  to  appreciate 
them.  The  Catholic  church  has  an  external,  visi- 
ble, earthly  and  human  realism,  which  meets 
prominent  and  extensive  demands  of  the  times. 
That  church  is  largely  empirical  and  tangible  ;  and 
with  multitudes  this  is  far  more  weighty  than  sub- 
tle argument.  What  are  to  the  masses  learned 
research,  elaborate  reasoning,  and  difficult  princi- 
ples ?  Numbers,  some  contagious  influence,  the 
spectacular,  the  striking  example,  a  blind  impulse, 
some  external  advantage,  are  often  decisive  factors 
in  their  estimation.  Its  tangible  realism  is  a  marked 
characteristic  of  that  church,  while  Protestantism 
is  more  inner,  invisible,  spiritual.  Catholic  wor- 
ship has  a  remarkable  union  of  the  esoteric  and 
the  exoteric  elements,  so  that  it  affects  profound 
natures  as  well  as  the  ignorant.  The  senses  are 
appealed  to  and  attracted,  and  yet  they  move  in  a 
world  of  symbols.  Christ  and  the  divine  powers 
seem  to  be  brought  very  near  the  worshiper ;  and 
in  the  mass  and  throughout  the  various  services 
there  seems  to  be  a  union  of  the  human  and  the 
divine.  Even  Protestants  are  often  deeply  affected 
by  these  services,  especially  when  witnessed  at 
Rome  or  in  some  great  cathedral,  with  all  the 
pomp  vso  marvelously  developed  for  effect.  Yet 
the  most  devout  services  of  monks  and  nuns,  and 
of  the  highest  prelates,  lack  a  healthy  and  rounded 


218  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

completeness.  The  devotional  and  mystical  ele- 
ments are  exalted  at  the  expense  of  the  intellectual. 
Frequently  the  service  has  more  of  the  cloister 
than  of  God's  free  daylight ;  it  seems  constrained, 
artificial,  perfunctory,  with  more  ceremon}^  than 
heart,  is  more  aesthetic  than  ethical  or  spiritual. 
And  attractive  as  some  of  the  services  are,  their 
total  effect  on  reflective  minds  is  often  repulsive. 
Catholic  worship  makes  men  slaves  to  ecclesiastical 
and  priestly  grace  ;  it  does  not  freely  lift  the  freed 
soul  into  immediate  communion  with  God.  And 
particularly  in  the  Latin  countries  the  worshipers 
are  an  illustration  of  how  sadly  the  people  have 
been  kept  in  ignorance  and  superstition,  and  even 
in  an  idolatry  that  savors  of  heathenism.  Of  course 
what  a  Protestant  most  severely  condemns  ma}^  be 
the  greatest  attraction  to  such  as  know  no  other 
than  a  sensuous,  spectacular,  or  symbolical  religion. 
The  remarkable  oneness  of  the  church  produces 
a  great  effect.  It  is  an  organization  which  is  par- 
alleled only  by  the  German  army.  The  pope  is 
the  head,  and  one  purpose,  one  will  rules  the  car- 
dinals, the  bishops,  the  priests,  the  orders,  and  the 
laity.  As  an  institution  encircling  the  globe,  an 
external  unity  with  but  one  will  wherever  found, 
it  has  not  its  equal  on  earth.  As  an  organization, 
the  product  of  the  accumulated  wisdom  of  many 
centuries,  its  power  seems  almost  irresistible. 
When  its  force  is  actually  concentrated,  it  makes 
the  impression  of  being  overwhelming   in  effect. 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    219 

Not  the  least  factor  is  the  obedience,  the  secrecy, 
the  devotion,  the  sacrifice,  and  the  enthusiasm  of 
its  orders.     No  matter  where  the  members  of  the 
church  go,  the  services  are  familiar  to  them,  the 
Latin  language  being   a  common  bond.     Objec- 
tionable as  the  doctrine  of  the  church  and  of  the 
priesthood  is,  it  secures  the  subjection  of  the  laity 
who  accept  the  doctrine.     The  power  of  the  keys 
confers  a  certain  degree  of  omnipotence.     To  this 
must  be  added  the  confessional,  giving  the  priest 
the  direction  of  the  conscience.     On  many  minds 
the  mystical  elements  in  the  church,  its  music 
architecture,  sculpture,  and  painting,  also  exert  a 
powerful   influence.     The   celibacy   of  the  priests 
and  orders,  the  quiet  devotion  as  well  as  restless 
activity  fovmd  in  the  church,  the  benevolent  insti- 
tutions, all  are  calculated  to  make  a  deep  impres- 
sion, particularly  on  certain  minds.    Contemplative, 
Aesthetic  natures,  souls  seeking  rest  from  the  agi- 
tations of  doubt,  are  apt  to  find  very  much  in  the 
Catholic  church  to  allure  them.     And  we  can  well 
understand  why  it  has  attracted  to  its  fold  a  num- 
ber of  persons  of  real  devotion  and  superior  ability. 
Its  unbroken  history  for  so  many  centuries  has  an 
imposing  effect,  gives  the  church  a  massive  realism, 
and  has  great  influence  over  minds  predominantly 
historical.     Its  claim  to  have  continued  the  same 
since  the  days  of  the   apostles  is  false ;  and  yet 
many  who  are  not  Catholics  are  deeply  impressed 
with  its  remarkable  historic  record.     Its  long  do- 


220  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

minion  over  the  religious  world  gives  it  the  ven- 
erable aspect  of  antiquity,  and  in  the  eyes  of  many 
the  prestige  of  authority.  It  claims  as  its  own  the 
fathers  and  the  councils  ;  and  especially,  since  the 
middle  ages  are  better  understood  and  more  highly 
appreciated,  is  it  admitted  to  have  embraced  a 
host  of  able  and  devoted  men,  and  to  have  given 
birth  to  systems  of  great  intellectual  power. 

Historic,  mystical  and  aesthetic  minds  find  at- 
tractive elements  in  that  church,  which  are  usually 
absent  in  Protestant  communions.  Absorbed  by 
some  particular  attraction,  they  pay  less  attention 
to  the  objectionable  factors  or  apologize  for  them. 
Especially  striking  is  the  permanent  objectivity  in 
Catholicism  as  contrasted  with  the  subjectivity  and 
distracting  multiplicity  in  Protestantism. 

These  elements  of  power  must  be  carefully 
studied  if  Rome  is  to  be  understood  and  if  its 
aggressive  movements  are  to  be  checked.  There 
is  something  monumental  in  the  church,  an  ele- 
ment of  grandeur  which  it  is  foolish  to  deny  or 
ignore.  Rome  can  be  met  only  by  those  who  un- 
derstand it,  who  are  prepared  to  do  full  justice  to 
it,  and  who  are  armed  to  fight,  not  windmills,  but 
that  institution  which  in  point  of  unity,  of  interna- 
tionalism, of  organization,  and  of  external  force 
has  no  equal  on  earth.  Attacks  often  serve  to 
strengthen  the  system  and  to  arouse  all  its  mighty, 
though  dormant  powers.  The  strongest  hope  of 
disintegration  and  final  overthrow  is  from  within. 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    231 

Where  it  reigns  supreme,  it  usually  fails  to  meet 
the  needs  of  culture ;  its  own  people  outgrow  its 
symbols,  its  superstitions,  its  tyranny,  and  its  ex- 
ternality. The  more  enlightened,  if  they  remain 
in  the  church,  are  apt  to  take  refuge  in  its  esoteric 
and  mystical  elements,  unless  their  religion  has 
degenerated  to  a  mere  form.  They  may  overlook 
the  things  which  attract  the  masses,  while  empha- 
sizing the  venerable  antiquity  of  the  church,  its 
great  influence,  which  seems  to  them  an  attestation 
of  divine  favor,  its  fathers,  its  martyrs,  its  saints, 
its  councils,  its  scholars,  and  its  great  systems  of 
thought. 

We  must  look  fully  into  the  face  of  truth.  Com- 
pared with  the  majestic  elements  in  Roman  Cath- 
olicism the  Protestant  sects  often  present  a  pitiable 
sight.  Endless  divisions,  constant  disputes,  per- 
petual distractions  seem  to  have  set  the  seal  of 
divine  disapproval  on  Protestantism.  Here  and 
there  the  Italian  sees  a  handful  of  Protestants, 
each  claiming  to  be  the  true  church  or  its  best  rep- 
resentative ;  and  the  sight  is  apt  to  confirm  him  in 
his  infidelity,  or  to  impress  him  more  deeply  with 
the  majest}^  of  Catholicism.  In  Holland  the  Cath- 
olics are  in  the  minority  ;  but  they  are  united  and 
inflamed  with  zeal,  while  twenty  to  thirty  Protes- 
tant bodies  are  warring  among  themselves.  In 
Germany  the  growing  strength  of  Catholicism  is 
largely  due  to  the  divisions  and  conflicts  among 
Protestants.     In    Great    Britain   and   the   United 


222  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

States  Protestantism  is  divided  into  scores  or  even 
hundreds  of  denominations.  The  present  con- 
dition of  Protestantism  gives  no  hope  of  meeting 
the  aggressions  of  Rome. 

The  appeal  to  the  love  of  religions  freedom  is 
futile.  Except  on  a  few  points,  Rome  is  more  tol- 
erant than  most  of  our  denominations,  having 
more  room  for  peculiarities,  and  furnishing  in  its 
extensive  domain  opportunities  for  the  use  of  the 
most  varied  gifts.  At  present  the  greatest  evi- 
dences of  intolerance  are  furnished  by  those  who 
cannot  tolerate  difference  of  opinion,  but  make 
necessary  a  new  sect  for  new  views  and  individual 
peculiarities,  even  if  there  is  agreement  on  essen- 
tials. Until  we  overcome  sectarian  intolerance 
and  even  tyranny,  so  long  as  we  cannot  live  to- 
gether in  peace  on  the  great  essentials  of  Chris- 
tianity, it  is  better  to  say  nothing  about  the 
intolerance  of  Rome.  Let  us  magnify  our  princi- 
ples and  glory  in  our  great  problems,  but  hang  our 
heads  when  we  come  to  concrete  reality  and  patent 
actuality. 

Nor  can  we  hope  to  meet  Rome  with  the  argu- 
ment that  it  is  in  glaring  conflict  with  modern 
thought.  The  Catholic  makes  his  standpoint,  not 
ours,  the  test  of  modern  thought.  And  has  Protes- 
tantism harmonized  its  doctrines  with  those  of  sci- 
ence and  philosophy  ?  Most  of  the  modern  attacks 
affect  Protestantism  as  seriously  as  Catholicism, 
just   because   the   two   systems   have  so  much  in 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    223 

common.  Frequently  the  apologetics  of  the  one 
can  be  adopted  by  the  other,  applying  equally  to 
both. 

As  there  are  pessimists  who  see  only  the  evils 
and  dangers  of  Roman  Catholicism,  not  its  excel- 
lencies ;  so  there  are  optimists  who  behold  in  it 
only  evidences  of  future  purity  and  goodness. 
The  latter,  controlled  not  by  facts  but  by  their 
subjective  views  and  wishes,  are  sure  that  Roman 
Catholicism  will  outgrow  its  extremes  and  enter 
into  the  line  of  modern  progress.  This  view  was 
formerly  quite  general  in  Germany  among  Prot- 
estants, and  to  the  surprise  of  all,  its  falsehood  has 
been  demonstrated  by  facts.  Not  for  centuries 
has  ultramontanism  been  so  bitter,  and  so  power- 
ful, and  so  progressive,  as  at  present.  And  as  all 
past  prophecies  of  a  gradual  reform  of  the  papacy 
have  proved  false,  so  the  prophecies  of  other  re- 
forms will  also  be  a  delusion.  In  spite  of  all  hopes 
of  progress,  the  wildest  claims  of  the  middle  ages 
respecting  the  power  of  the  pope  have  in  our  day 
received  the  stamp  of  absolute  authority.  And 
what  hopes  does  a  church  inspire  which  exhibits 
at  Treves  what  it  proclaims  as  the  seamless  gar- 
ment of  Christ,  when  that  garment  is  not  sub- 
mitted to  scientific  examination  to  determine  from 
its  fibre  its  age,  and  when  there  are  in  that  church 
twenty  other  garments  for  which  the  same  claim 
is  made ! 

The  expected  reforms  in  that  church  are  based 


224  THE  AGE  AND   THE  CHURCH. 

on  the  false  supposition  that  progress  is  contin- 
uous, passing  in  an  unbroken  line  from  generation 
to  generation.  This  fiction  has  already  been  ex- 
posed. Destructive  as  well  as  progressive  forces 
are  at  work,  and  nation  after  nation  proves  that 
there  may  be  retrogression  in  morals,  in  religion, 
and  in  intellect,  as  well  as  progress.  This  we  learn 
from  the  seats  of  the  ancient  civilizations  ;  and 
how  completely  Protestantism  has  been  destroyed 
in  lands  where  once  it  was  in  a  fair  way  to  gain 
the  ascendancy  !  There  would  be  more  hope  for 
the  progress  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  if  its 
controlling  factors  were  in  living  contact  with  this 
progress.  But  the  pope,  the  cardinals,  the  bishops 
and  priests,  the  numerous  orders,  the  papal  schools 
in  Rome  where  the  clergy  are  trained  for  all  parts 
of  the  world,  are  isolated,  their  separation  from 
the  world  being  their  boast,  their  traditions  being 
of  the  remote  past  and  hostile  to  many  of  the  pres- 
ent, progressive  elements,  and  their  spirit  and  pur- 
pose making  them  enemies  of  the  trend  of  modern 
thought.  Not  the  Jesuits  in  the  world,  but  the 
general  of  the  order,  is  the  ruling  spirit  of  that 
mighty  organization.  The  wonderful  adaptation 
of  that  church  does  not  mean  conformity  to  the 
progress  of  the  day,  but  it  means  an  adaptation  to 
the  world  for  the  sake  of  conforming  the  world  to 
Roman  Catholicism. 

It    would    be   different   if    the  masses   of   that 
church,  as  they  come  in  contact  with  enlightened 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    225 

and  tolerant  Protestants  in  the  United^  States, 
Great  Britain,  and  Germany,  were  independent, 
could  form  their  own  religions  views,  choose  their 
own  line  of  conduct,  and  could  then  control  their 
church.  But  so  long  as  they  remain  loyalfto  the 
church  this  is  impossible.  One  need  but  look  at 
the  exact  situation  to  learn,  why  a  man  who  under- 
stood the  Roman  Catholicism  of  the  day  as  fully 
as  Doellinger  despaired  of  its  regeneration.  This 
despair  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  papacy  has  taken 
a  position  which  makes  reform  of  principles,  where 
most  of  all  needed,  impossible.  With  the  doctrine 
of  papal  infallibility  modern  Roman  Catholicism 
must  stand  or  fall.  The  only  possible  reform  is 
conditioned  on  the  destruction  of  this  dogma. 
With  papal  infallibility  must  likewise  be  destroyed 
the  hierarchical  clericalism  and  the  tyrannical 
ecclesiasticism  of  that  church,  in  order  to  get  the 
first  conditions  of  principiant  reforms.  But  the 
destruction  of  these  involves  the  very  destruction 
of  the  papacy  as  it  is.  The  reform  of  Roman 
Catholicism  therefore  means  the  destruction  of 
the  present  papal  system,  and  the  introduction  of 
something  entirely  different  in  its  place. 

With  Protestantism  the  case  is  different.  As 
consistency  with  ultramontane  principles  is  the 
condemnation  of  ultramontanism,  so  the  develop- 
ment and  zealous  practice  of  Protestant  principles 
is  the  hope  of  Protestantism.  The  Evangelical 
church  is  strong  in  proportion  as  Protestant  real- 
ms 


226  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

ism  and  actualism  prevail.  If  absorbed  by  attacks 
on  other  churches,  and  if  it  lives  in  mere  nega- 
tions, a  church  may  prove  that  it  lacks  the  best 
strength,  namely,  the  strength  which  is  inner,  pro- 
duces real  growth,  and  does  positive  work.  That 
good  is  most  desirable  whose  inherent  strength  of 
itself  overcomes  the  evil. 

There  can  be  no  question  that  its  own  purifi- 
cation and  its  growth  into  harmony  with  its  prin- 
ciples is  now  the  greatest  demand  made  on 
Protestantism.  With  itself  judgment  must  begin  ; 
it  must  remove  the  beam  from  its  own  ej^e,  then 
attend  to  the  mote  in  the  eye  of  another.  By 
understanding  the  situation,  and  by  a  conscious- 
ness of  its  own  deep  needs,  it  may  be  prepared 
for  the  overwhelming  work  of  the  age.  What  it 
would  do,  it  must  become ;  it  must  be  the  leaven 
which  it  wants  to  use  in  leavening  humanity. 
Unless  its  truth,  its  boasted  tolerance,  and  its  love 
can  unite  the  members  of  its  own  household,  how 
can  it  present  to  the  world  and  to  Rome  other 
than  a  spectacle  of  weakness?  Much  may  be 
learned  even  from  Catholics  ;  and  nothing  of  truth 
and  goodness  and  power,  wherever  found,  should 
be  foreign  to  Protestantism. 

There  is  much  in  the  polemics  against  Rome 
which  is  unjust,  and  hurts  only  its  authors  and 
their  cause.  Every  fair-minded  scholar  knows 
that  it  is  one-sided  and  exaggerated.  German 
ultramontanism  treats  Evangelical  Christianity  in 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    221 

that  way,  and  finds  evils  enough  to  expose.  There 
are  abuses  in  the  Catholic  church  which,  just  be- 
cause they  are  abuses,  are  no  test  of  the  essence  of 
that  church.  We  protest  against  the  world  when 
it  judges  Christianity  itself  by  the  imperfect  prac- 
tice of  Christians ;  and  shall  we  violate  our  own 
rule  in  judging  Rome  ?  Mere  excitement  against 
priests  and  Jesuits  and  nuns  is  verily  not  going  to 
shake  Roman  Catholicism.  It  must  be  an  unvary- 
ing rule  that  only  the  truth  shall  be  the  weapon  of 
attack.  If  that  cannot  win,  then  failure  is  prefer- 
able to  victory.  As  the  fatal  error  of  Rome  is  in 
the  principles  which  constitute  its  essence,  these 
must  be  exposed,  and  their  exposure  will  be  their 
condemnation.  The  abuses  in  that  church  may  be 
removed,  its  celibacy  may  be  chastity  itself  and 
its  obedience  saintly,  and  yet  its  principles  remain 
intact  and  as  reprehensible  as  ever.  In  its  practices 
that  church  may  undergo  a  total  reformation  and 
throw  practical  Protestantism  into  the  shade,  and 
yet  the  system  itself  be  false.  That  church  has  not 
the  future,  because  its  foundations  are  rotten ;  and 
no  matter  how  grand  and  beautiful  and  massive 
the  superstructure  may  be,  it  must  go  with  its 
foundations.  The  best  polemics  against  that 
church  consists  in  making  known  exactly  what  it 
is,  root  and  sap  and  trunk  and  branch  and  flower 
and  fruit. 

Some  see  the  weakness  of  Protestantism  in  its 
individualism.     It  would  be  nearer  the  truth  to 


328  THE  AGE  AND   THE  CHURCH. 

say  that  its  lack  of  individualism  is  its  weakness. 
Just  in  proportion  as  it  fails  to  develop  this  suf- 
ficiently, it  prepares  its  members  for  the  Church 
of  Rome.  The  more  perfect  the  individualism^ 
the  independence,  the  peculiarity,  and  the  diversity 
of  the  members,  the  greater  the  church.  But  it 
must  be  individualism  in  organism  ;  each  individual 
the  most  perfect  in  himself,  and  then  most  perfectly 
united  to  the  whole.  The  promotion  of  legitimate 
Protestant  diversity  is  an  urgent  demand ;  but 
with  this  diversity  must  likewise  be  developed  all 
that  makes  believers  one.  Not  from  Catholicism,, 
but  from  Protestantism  itself,  must  the  lesson  of 
true  unity  be  learned.  In  the  former  the  union  is 
too  external,  mechanical,  military ;  according  to 
Protestantism  it  must  be  inner,  real,  the  unity  of 
life.  It  cannot  be  made  ;  it  must  grow.  Catholics 
are  held  together  by  a  church  that  overawes  them  ; 
Protestants  grow  together.  Catholics  exist  for  the 
church ;  Protestants  themselves  constitute  the 
church,  which  exists  for  them  and  grows  as  they 
grow  together.  It  is  only  a  one-sided,  false  in- 
dividualism which  is  to  be  deprecated. 

The  revival  in  Roman  Catholicism  can  be  met 
only  by  a  revival.  Never  was  the  call  for  inner 
improvement  more  urgent  than  at  present.  Protes- 
tantism will  overcome  Roman  Catholicism  exactly 
in  proportion  as  it  really  surpasses  it  in  Christian 
excellence,  and  actually  reveals  more  of  the  truth, 
the  spirit,  and  the  work  of  Christ.      As  the  weak- 


PROTESTANTISM  AND  CATHOLICISM.    229 

ness  of  Protestantism  promotes  the  strength  of 
Catholicism,  so  the  strength  of  Protestantism  will 
overcome  the  weakness  of  Roman  Catholicism. 

As  history  has  proved  that  the  world  at  large 
was  not  prepared  for  the  pure  spirituality  of  orig- 
inal Christianity,  so  it  has  proved  that  it  was  not 
ready  to  embody  and  live  the  purest  doctrines  of 
Protestantism.  The  constant  tendency  to  formal- 
ism makes  one  wonder  whether  Evangelical  Chris- 
tianity is  not  too  exalte'd  for  the  present  generation. 
An  empirical,  materialistic  age  can  appreciate  an 
external,  massive  uniformity,  so  devoid  of  real 
unity  that  the  members  in  many  instances  do  not 
even  know  what  the  church  believes,  and  there- 
fore lack  the  elements  of  true  union  ;  while  a  deep, 
inner,  spiritual  unity  is  not  appreciated.  Is  the 
age  fit  for  Protestantism  ?  Is  it  not  too  sensuous, 
too  outer,  to  appreciate  the  grand  principles  which 
are  the  glory  of  the  Reformation,  and  also  of  the 
development  since  that  era  ?  Perhaps  true  Protes- 
tantism is  now  the  religion  of  the  few,  and  must  re- 
main the  religion  of  the  few,  so  long  as  gross 
conceptions  prevail  even  in  the  realm  of  divinity. 
Its  hope  is  in  its  educational  elements,  in  its  spirit- 
ual training,  in  the  moral  and  religious  exaltation 
of  the  personality. 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  231 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

The  Church  and  Culture. 

The  culture  of  an  age  is  the  totality  of  its  en- 
lightened factors,  of  all  that  enters  into  its  civil- 
zation  as  essential  elements.  Culture  lives  and 
grows,  and  in  this  respect  differs  from  refinement, 
with  which  it  is  so  often  confounded.  We  speak 
of  sheep  culture,  of  horticulture,  and  of  floricul- 
ture, the  idea  always  being  that  a  life  is  to  be 
unfolded.  Only  such  objects  as  have  an  inherent 
energy  which  can  be  developed  are  capable  of  cul- 
ture. Thus  mind  can  be  cultivated  and  heart  can 
be  developed.  This  view  of  culture  as  substantial 
and  capable  of  growth  gives  it  rich  and  valuable 
content.  Refinement,  on  the  other  hand,  simply 
refers  to  the  purification  or  beautifying  of  an  ex- 
isting substance,  not  to  its  development.  The 
sugar  we  refine  is  not  increased  by  the  process, 
but  it  is  made  more  pure.  Refinement,  as  applied 
to  the  individual  and  to  society,  frequently  means 
polish.  Whatever  a  person  ha.s,  however  insignifi- 
cant it  may  be,  is  made  the  most  of  from  an  aes- 
thetic point  of  view.  Refinement  refers  chiefly  to 
form,  often  it  is  simply  a  kind  of  speech  or  manner. 


232  THE  AGE  AND   THE  CHURCH. 

Sometimes  the  substance  is  made  light  of,  while 
the  whole  stress  is  laid  on  the  appearance.  Thought 
is  secondary,  the  style  of  first  importance.  Rhetoric 
is  the  chief  thing.  Thus  mere  accomplishment  is 
put  for  real  education,  and  sound  for  sense. 

The  prevalent  idea  of  refinement  may  be  hostile 
to  culture,  leading  society  to  live  in  a  vain  show 
instead  of  solid  realities.  A  life  devoted  to  the 
polishing  of  what  has  been  attained,  especially  if 
the  polishing  be  merely  an  outward  process,  is  not 
likely  to  increase  the  attainments.  Such  a  process 
is  promotive  of  shams,  it  is  intent  on  veneering 
and  gilding ;  and  why  seek  the  hard  expensive 
diamond,  if  paste  can  be  made  to  look  like  dia- 
mond ?  Refinement  may  become  the  ape  of  cul- 
ture, putting  art  for  nature,  and  the  artificial  for 
art.  When  refinement  takes  the  place  of  culture, 
a  life  of  vanity  is  the  necessary  result.  The  very 
existence  of  this  hollow  refinement  depends-  on 
seeming  what  it  is  not. 

Different  from  this  is  that  refinement  which  is 
the  natural  product  of  culture.  The  mind  in  its 
growth  may  throw  off  coarseness,  develop  a  love 
of  beautiful  objects,  and  seek  to  put  all  its  attain- 
ments into  the  best  possible  form.  Thus  refine- 
ment is  valued,  because  something  real  and  valuable 
is  developed  to  the  highest  perfection.  The  re- 
finement is  therefore  an  actual  growth,  a  natural 
unfolding  of  the  substance  itself,  a  real  quality  of 
an  existing  content,  not  a  pretence.     Refinement 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  333 

in  this  sense  means  health,  it  is  culture  in  its  best 
development,  it  is  a  form  inherent  in  the  substance. 
Culture  in  its  highest  form  is  simply  humanity  at 
its  best ;  but  mere  external  refinement  unhuman- 
izes,  the  man  himself  is  refined  away  or  glossed 
over,  a  form  or  phrase  takes  the  place  of  his  soul, 
and  a  kid  glove  is  thrust  between  his  heart  and 
suffering. 

Neither  is  learning  any  more  than  refinement 
synonymous  with  culture.  Learning  may  be  a 
dead  mass,  which  neither  grows  itself  nor  pro- 
motes the  growth  of  the  soul.  Instead  of  culti- 
vating anything,  it  is  a  dull  weight  that  suppresses 
culture,  a  mere  burden  a  man  bears  about  with 
him.  Culture,  in  the  best  sense,  is  often  most  re- 
mote from  those  who  have  accumulated  much 
learned  stuff.  Many  of  them  are  coarse  and  brutal, 
mistaking  what  they  have  adopted  from  the  think- 
ing and  researches  of  others  for  mental  develop- 
ment. Not  only  do  they  lack  real  mental  power, 
but  also  heart  and  soul.  They  are  vain  and  super- 
cilious, repulsively  arrogant  and  haughty,  the  best 
evidence  that  they  are  not  cultured.  The  ethical 
element,  the  heart  of  all  genuine  culture,  is  absent 
from  a  large  part  of  the  learning  of  the  day.  The 
fact  that  intellect  has  a  grand  moral  purpose  is 
denied  by  the  egotism  so  largely  prevalent  in  in- 
tellectual pursuits.  Scholarship  has  been  degraded 
to  the  level  of  covetousness,  in  that  it  is  used  as 
means  for  making  money,  and  to  the  level  of  pol- 


234  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

itics,  in  that  it  is  the  minister  of  place  and  reputa- 
tion. Intellect,  as  giving  worthiness  to  its  possessor 
and  as  power  for  noble  ends,  has  been  lost  sight  of 
by  many  of  those  who  enjoy  the  highest  intellectual 
advantages. 

Nor  must  art  be  confounded  with  culture.  In 
too  many  instances  it  is  nothing  but  a  trade,  a 
mechanical  process,  as  devoid  of  soul  as  of  the 
ideal.  The  market  has  largely  become  its  standard^ 
One  is  seriously  tempted  to  ask  whether  the  com- 
mon view  of  the  refining  influence  of  art  is  not  a 
delusion.  At  least  artists,  who  still  have  regard 
for  ethical  consideration,  find  it  necessary  to  apol- 
ogize for  the  grossness,  the  voluptuousness,  and 
the  filthy  lives  of  many  in  their  fraternity.  It  is 
certainly  not  accidental,  that  the  ancient  statues  of 
Apollo  usually  give  him  a  weak  and  effeminate 
face.  Beauty  is  by  no  means  strength.  Our  age 
goes  into  raptures  over  musicians,  whose  intellect 
and  morals  would  place  them  below  the  level  of 
vulgar  respectability.  So  much  is  society  absorbed 
by  mere  externals  that  the  performance  is  every- 
thing, the  inner  qualities  of  the  soul  are  not  con- 
sidered. And  many  young  persons  of  ability  are 
so  affected  by  the  dominant  fashion  that  they  neg- 
lect the  deeper  elements  of  culture,  and  in  their 
studies  seek  those  elements  which  are  for  show, 
have  spectacular  effect,  promote  sensationalism, 
win  popular  applause,  and  make  money.  Thus  the 
theatre  has  in  many  places  lost  all  claims  to  art, 


THE  CH UR CH  A ND  CULTURE.  235 

and  has  become  the  stage  for  what  is  vile  and  the 
means  of  debauchery ;  painting  has  put  skillful 
technique  for  heart  and  high  inspirations ;  and 
music  often  only  ministers  to  the  wild  passions 
which  it  embodies  in  sound. 

Now  the  so-called  culture  of  the  day — whether 
it  be  genuine  or  empty  refinement,  or  dead  learn- 
ing, or  heartless  skill  and  mechanical  performance 
— is  naturally  deemed  by  its  possessors  as  the 
standard  of  all  mundane  and  supermundane  affairs. 
The  more  thoroughly  a  sham,  the  more  conceited 
it  is  apt  to  be.  If  now  the  culture  of  the  day  is 
pitted  against  religion,  the  partakers  of  that  cul- 
ture will  either  reject  religion,  or  else  find  their 
culture  in  conflict  with  their  religion. 

The  church  still  embodies  much  of  the  culture  of 
the  day,  and  exerts  a  powerful  influence  on  the 
various  factors  of  civilization.  But  we  have  seen 
that,  in  many  places,  the  dominant  culture  has  been 
alienated  from  the  church  and  is  actually  hostile 
to  its  principles.  The  dominion  exercised  by  the 
church  over  culture  in  the  middle  ages  has  long 
ceased.  The  sciences,  philosophy,  literature,  and 
art  have  been  emancipated.  The  church  no  longer 
controls  education  ;  theology  has  ceased  to  be  the 
chief  study,  and  purely  intellectual  and  secular 
subjects  have  taken  the  leading  place  once  occu- 
pied by  divinity  ;  and  literature  and  art  have  been 
absorbed  by  temporal  interests.  Much  of  the  cul- 
ture of  the  day  treats  with  indifference  what  the 


236  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

church  regards  as  supreme,  and  is  devoted  to 
pursuits  in  which  religion  is  ignored  or  even 
antagonized. 

On  the  continent  of  Europe,  the  divorce  between 
the  church  and  a  large  part  of  culture  is  so  great 
that  there  hardly  seems  a  bridge  from  the  one  to 
the  other.  They  are  like  opposing  parties,  with 
not  even  the  conditions  for  understanding  each 
other.  Different  spirits  are  cultivated,  hostile 
camps  are  formed,  so  that  each  regards  the  de- 
struction of  the  other  as  the  condition  of  its  own 
preservation.  This  state  of  things,  although  most 
marked  on  the  Continent,  is  not  peculiar  to  it. 
The  conflict  between  Christianity  and  modern 
thought,  between  religion  and  culture,  between 
faith  and  knowledge,  characterizes  the  times. 
Hence  the  agony  of  doubt  through  which  so  many 
have  to  pass,  when  with  the  faith  of  their  youth 
they  engage  in  the  deeper  studies  of  the  age. 

If  the  conflict  is  to  be  overcome,  the  elements 
engaged  in  it  must  be  candidly  and  thoroughly 
mastered.  Dogmatic  authority  on  the  one  hand, 
and  a  tone  of  intellectual  superiority  on  the  other, 
can  only  serve  to  deepen  and  broaden  the  existing 
gulf. 

The  hostility  of  secular  culture  to  the  church  is 
partly  a  reaction.  That  thought  is  an  organism, 
that  each  truth  is  in  living  connection  with  every 
other  truth,  and  that  each  member  is  supreme  in 
its  place  and  an  essential  part  of  the  whole  system, 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  237 

was  not  apprehended.     Instead  of  putting  secular 
culture  in  its  proper  place  in  the  organism  and 
giving  it  due  freedom   there,   it    was   put  under 
restraint;   what  wonder  that   now   it   rebels  and 
opposes  its  former  master  ?    In  more  respects  than 
is  usually  supposed,  we  are  still  living  either  in  a 
reaction  against  the  middle  ages,  or  even  in  the 
principles  of  those  ages.      The  present  condition 
of  things  also  furnishes  abundant  ground  for  the 
conflict.     Within  the  church,  in  Protestantism  as 
well  as  in  Catholicism,  there  have  been  utterances 
which  culture  interpreted  to  mean  opposition  to 
free  inquiry.     Nearly  every  great  progress  in  sec- 
ular thought  has  been  opposed  by  some,  who  pro- 
fessed to  speak  in  the  name  of  the  church.     The 
pulpit   and    the   religious   press   have   frequently 
taken  a  hostile  attitude  toward  intellectual  move- 
ments before  they  were  fully  understood.     Igno- 
rant and  violent  denunciation  has  taken  the  place 
of  calm  and  profound   inquiry;    and   theological 
opinions  were  made  criteria  in  matters  which  only 
reason,  research,  and  scholarship  can  settle.     This 
disgraceful  meddling  with  things  not  understood 
has  incalculably  injured  the  church  in  the  ranks 
of  culture.     The   church   was  regarded   as   arro- 
gating to  itself  an  authority  whose  claim  is   no 
longer  admitted,  and  its  anxiety  respecting   the 
safety  of  its  doctrines  was  interpreted  as  weakness. 
There  are  regions  where  it  is  common  to  regard 
even  Protestant  orthodoxy  as  afraid  to  have  its 


238  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

position  freely  investigated  and  criticized,  because 
at  heart  it  lacks  confidence  in  its  position.  It  is 
then  taken  for  granted  that  this  position  can  be 
held  only  by  suppressing  free  inquiry,  or  by  be- 
coming a  hypocrite.  Many  regard  a  robust  in- 
tellectuality inconsistent  with  the  spirit  of  the 
church ;  and  they  are  ready  to  reject  without 
inquiry  the  Bible,  the  history  of  religion,  and  the 
theology  of  the  church,  because  treated  by  believ- 
ers as  if  unable  to  stand  the  profoundest  research 
and  severest  critical  tests. 

The  world  estimates  the  church  by  its  actual, 
not  by  its  ideal  religion  ;  hence  the  attitude  of  be- 
lievers has  been  so  effective  in  alienating  scholar- 
ship. A  narrowness  and  bigotry  have  often  been 
manifested  which  are  intolerable  to  the  scholarly 
mind,  and  have  made  men  wonder  whether  the 
Christianity  of  Christ  is  really  to  be  found  in  the 
church.  Hostility  to  the  church  is  therefore  not 
necessarily  hostility  to  religion.  Often  those 
deemed  peculiarly  devout  assume  an  indifferent 
or  hostile  attitude  toward  intellectual  pursuits. 
Feeling  running  in  narrow  grooves  is  excited,  an 
enthusiasm  bordering  on  fanaticism  is  cultivated, 
while  science,  philosophy,  and  intellectuality  are 
disparaged.  Even  in  religious  circles  it  is  ad- 
mitted that  there  are  evangelistic  efforts  which 
antagonize  scholarship  ;  and  certain  religious 
bodies  and  associations  have  made  for  them- 
selves the  unenviable  reputation  of  opposing  deep 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  239 

and  thorough  and  broad  cultiire.  Science  is  men- 
tioned sneeringly  by  such  as  cannot  define  it,  and 
have  not  the  ability  to  separate  the  true  from  the 
false  ;  philosophy  is  ridiculed  as  metaphysics  and 
transcendentalism  by  such  as  have  never  been 
affected  by  a  philosophic  thought ;  and  the  deepest 
yearning  of  the  intellect  is  treated  as  if  unworthy 
of  the  Christian.  These  facts  are  patent  to  all, 
and  often  produce  a  more  powerful  impression 
than  the  truly  intellectual  spirit  and  profound 
scholarship,  so  characteristic  of  a  large  part  of  the 
church.  The  ctilture  innately  opposed  to  religion, 
seizes  whatever  is  objectionable  in  the  church  and 
makes  the  most  of  it,  while  overlooking  the  earnest 
efforts  of  Christian  scholars  to  attain  the  highest 
culture,  and  to  promote  only  the  truth. 

As  in  the  church  we  find  a  mixture  of  truth  and 
error,  so  we  find  the  same  mixture  in  culture. 
Those  most  bitter  in  their  attacks  on  the  church 
are  frequently  the  very  ones  whose  character  un- 
fits them  to  do  justice  to  the  church.  It  is  the  old 
story  of  the  mote  and  the  beam.  How  often  has 
culture  been  shallow,  one-sided,  vain  and  flippant  ? 
Instead  of  making  superior  attainments  the  meas- 
ure of  responsibility,  these  have  often  been  re- 
garded as  exalting  their  possessor  above  the  claims 
of  duty  and  giving  free  play  to  licentiousness. 
Even  genius  in  literature  and  art  has  unblushingly 
been  made  an  apology  for  vice.  What  wonder 
that   genius   once    worshiped    is   now   treated   in 


240  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

learned  works  as  a  species  of  insanity !  A  cold 
intellectualism  has  been  deified  at  the  expense  of 
heart  and  character,  and  scholarship  controlled  by 
a  base  spirit  has  been  permitted  to  tyrannize  over 
morals  and  religion.  The  groundless  opinions  of 
men  of  science  have  been  taken  for  science  itself, 
so  that,  even  when  they  uttered  nonsense,  they 
were  supposed  to  speak  with  scientific  finality. 
Imaginations  were  thus  dubbed  hypotheses,  hy- 
potheses were  taken  for  theories,  and  theories  were 
promulgated  as  demonstrations.  Observation,  ex- 
periment, and  mathematical  deductions  were  de- 
clared the  essence  of  science,  and  then  the  wildest 
speculations  were  stamped  as  scientific.  What  is 
called  science  in  our  day  is  largely  a  conglomeration 
of  philosophical  speculations  which  can  be  pro- 
claimed scientific  only  by  a  courtesy  that  is  hypo- 
critical. Atoms,  ether,  matter,  are  all  postulates  ; 
and  those  who  w^ork  w^ith  them  usually  put  into 
them  what  is  needed  in  order  to  explain  the  phe- 
nomena, for  whose  interpretation  they  were  pos- 
tulated. What  is  legitimate  as  a  postulate  may  be 
an  abuse,  when  made  the  creator  of  the  universe. 
It  has  been  claimed  that  Newton  needed  imagina- 
tion for  his  work  as  much  as  Shakespeare  did  ;  but 
he  did  not  construct  his  science  by  means  of  his 
imagination. 

By  scientists,  as  well  as  by  philosophers,  it  is 
admitted  that  science  has  been  put  in  a  false  light. 
Claims  have  been  made  for  it  with  which  it  could 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  241 

not  comply.  Vast  as  its  domain  is,  there  are  realms 
beyond  its  sphere,  and  these  are  the  ones  which 
pertain  to  the  highest  interests  of  man.  It  has  be- 
come evident  that  no  theory  of  the  universe  will 
be  regarded  as  final,  tmless  it  meets  the  demands 
of  the  heart  as  well  as  of  the  intellect. 

Those  who  treated  man  as  a  brute,  and  his  ideals 
and  longings,  his  ethics  and  religion,  as  not  so 
worthy  of  study  as  a  reptile  or  a  bug,  were  the 
very  ones  who  assumed  the  leadership  in  culture, 
and  professed  to  occupy  the  highest  summit  to 
which  the  progress  of  the  ages  has  pushed  scholar- 
ship. In  the  name  of  science,  whose  method  is 
absolute  and  whose  conclusion  is  final,  they  affirmed 
that  morality  had  been  undermined  and  religion 
overthrown.  As  a  consequence,  some  men  who  had 
ignored  religion  were  now  startled,  and  the  abyss 
to  which  they  saw  culture  hastening  appalled 
them.  It  seemed,  in  fact,  as  if  civilization  itself 
was  endangered.  When  continental  socialism  pro- 
nounces materialism  the  basis  of  thought,  pleasure 
the  aim  of  life,  and  atheistic  anarchy  the  spirit  of 
its  movements,  it  professes  to  follow  the  star  of 
science.  Socialists  claim  that  scientists  have  over- 
thrown God,  immortality,  and  ethics ;  and  as  man 
has  been  made  a  brute,  a  consistent  logic  impels 
many  to  let  the  beast  in  man  rule.  Thus  science 
is  abused  by  making  it  an  apology  for  every  crime 
and  every  abomination. 

There  is  now  a  decided  reaction  against  these 
i6 


242  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

abuses.  Science  is  not  depreciated,  but  efforts  are 
made  to  limit  it  to  the  sphere  to  which  its  objects 
and  method  confine  it.  The  discovery  has  also 
been  made  that  the  absoluteness  of  science  is  not 
conferred  on  mere  opinions  and  inferences  of 
scientists.  A  man  may  be  profoundly  intelligent  on 
material  subjects,  and  as  profoundly  ignorant  of 
religion.  Specialization  is  still  regarded  as  the 
wa)^  to  thoroughness ;  but  the  narrowness  of 
specialization  is  now  seen  to  be  bigotry,  if  it 
shrinks  the  universe  to  its  limits.  The  efforts  of 
philosophy  to  form  a  consistent  view  of  the  totality 
of  being  are  becoming  more  common,  and  are 
regarded  as  an  evidence  that  thought  must  supple- 
ment sensation,  that  reason  must  be  the  interpreter 
of  phenomena,  that  from  empiricism  must  be  ex- 
tracted the  principles  involved  in  it,  and  that  the 
perversions  of  analogical  reasoning  from  a  narrow 
specialty  must  be  overcome. 

Jean  Paul  says,  ''Formerly  prejudice  regarded 
every  thinker  an  atheist ;  now,  on  the  other  hand, 
it  regards  every  atheist  a  thinker.  .  .  Whoever 
fails  to  echo  the  fashionable  views  is  judged  not 
to  stand  on  the  summit  of  his  age."  A  general 
consensus  of  opinion  is  apt  to  prevail  in  cultured 
circles  and  to  be  made  authoritative.  The  the- 
oretical demand  for  realism  by  no  means  banishes 
subjective  arbitrariness.  Philosophy  and  science 
are  supposed  to  have  settled  certain  things  ;  and 
then,   without    personal    investigation    or    actual 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  243 

knowledge,  the  philosophical  and  scientific  views 
generally  prevalent  in  society  are  adopted.  Thus 
persons  whose  ignorance  of  real  science  and  phil- 
osophy is  apparent,  do  not  hesitate  to  affirm  dog- 
matically that  no  man  of  culture  any  longer 
believes  in  miracles  or  in  revelation.  In  religion 
and  in  morals  authority  is  denied  and  the  wildest 
subjectivity  advocated,  while,  even  in  matters 
wholly  outside  of  their  specialty,  the  views  of 
scientists  and  philosophers  receive  the  stamp  of 
infallibility. 

And  the  moral  character  of  culture  ?  It  has  re- 
ceived severest  condemnation  from  scholars  who 
make  no  claim  to  religion.  Much  of  the  intellect  of 
the  day  is  selfish,  thoroughly  base,  polluting  the 
very  atmosphere  in  which  it  moves,  so  that  pure 
men  and  chaste  women  shrink  from  it  in  horror. 
There  are  circles  of  intellect  and  culture  which 
are  a  moral  pestilence,  in  which  the  very  attain- 
ments seem  to  be  means  of  bestiality  and  of 
heathenish  debauchery.  In  these  loathsoihe  dens 
purity  is  made  a  mockery  and  virtue  an  object  of 
ridicule.  After  the  diabolical  lust  of  cultured 
devils  has  destroyed  its  victim,  all  efforts  to  help 
or  save  the  deluded  wretch  are  left  to  Christian 
hearts  which  still  believe  in  regenerative  and  re- 
demptive power.  Language  has  not  the  force  to 
curse  such  fiends  as  they  deserve.  Yet  they  claim 
to  stand  on  the  pinnacle  of  intellectual  culture! 

Much  of  the  culture  of  society  called  the  "best" 


344  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

is  hardly  worthy  of  contempt.  Alexander  von 
Humboldt  has  never  been  forgiven  for  permitting- 
letters  to  be  published,  which  revealed  his  disgust 
at  the  court  circles  in  which  he  was  obliged  to 
move.  The  inanity  was  intolerable  ;  but  it  was 
thought  that  there  was  no  need  of  letting  the  world  ' 
into  the  secret.  Diplomatic  circles  are  often  noto- 
rious for  their  empty  formality  and  insipid  cere- 
monies. In  much  of  the  "  first  class  "  of  the  day 
mere  accomplishment  is  apt  to  be  taken  for  schol- 
arship, just  as  dilettanteism  in  music  is  called  an 
education!  Frequently  cards  and  the  dance  must 
be  resorted  to,  in  order  to  bring  out  the  best  quali- 
ties of  the  cream  of  culture!  And  these  circles  of 
"culture"  are  the  social  standards  of  moralit)^  and 
spirituality!  And  this  at  the  close  of  the  nine- 
teenth century! 

One  need  but  consider  the  culture  of  the  day,  as 
it  is  found  outside  of  the  church,  in  order  to  dis- 
miss all  thought  of  making  it  a  law  for  Christians. 
Its  crititisms  are  worth  heeding,  but  it  is  not  a 
model  the  church  can  safely  follow.  It  is  a  culture 
constantly  undergoing  changes,  and  the  religion 
guided  by  it  would  have  to  be  as  variable.  Not 
only  does  it  lack  the  redemptive  elements  needed 
by  society,  but  in  many  respects  it  is  also  a  pro- 
moter of  the  worst  elements  in  man,  and  cannot 
even  appreciate  religion.  Its  tests  are  at  best  in- 
tellectual, and  for  that  reason  are  likely  to  have 
more  significance  for  theology  than  for  spirituality. 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  245 

But  even  in  point  of  intellect  culture  must  be 
severely  tested  before  it  influences  religious  belief. 
If  Christians  at  times  have  ignorantly  opposed  the 
conclusions  of  scholars,  how  often  have  these  con- 
clusions been  used  hastily  and  hatefully  against 
the  church,  and  how  common  has  it  become  to 
spread  them  before  the  public  not  prepared  to 
judge  of  them,  in  order  to  prejudice  them  against 
Christianity  ?  And  what  a  time  the  church  would 
have,  if  obliged  to  adapt  itself  to  every  new  sci- 
entific and  philosophical  theory!  How  rapidly 
religion  would  have  been  obliged  to  change  within 
this  century,  in  order  to  put  itself  into  harmony 
with  every  new  system  of  philosophy!  And  which 
of  the  numerous  old  and  new  systems  now  advo- 
cated is  to  be  the  law  for  the  church  ?  Only  what 
is  final  in  thought  can  be  a  law  for  the  mind  ;  and 
only  what  is  true  and  pure  and  moral  and  religious 
in  culture  is  worthy  of  being  assimilated  by  the 
church.  Perhaps  nothing  needs  criticism  more 
than  the  culture  which  makes  itself  the  final  ap- 
peal in  religion. 

But  the  very  fact  that  the  culture  of  the  day  so 
deeply  needs  the  moral  and  spiritual  leaven  is  an 
urgent  reason  why  the  church  should  study  this 
culture,  and  should  so  adapt  its  religious  power  as 
to  make  it  most  effective.  Culture,  particularly 
on  the  Continent,  has  to  an  alarming  degree  for- 
saken the  church.  This  is  true  in  Protestant  as 
well  as  in  Catholic  countries.     With  the  exception 


246  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

of  theologians,  we  find  that  in  Germany  prof  essors^ 
students,  authors,  artists,  and  professional  men  are 
rarely  found  in  sympathy  with  the  church.  The 
daily  press,  and  literature  in  general,  largely  either 
oppose  or  ignore  the  church.  Not  in  the  same 
degree  is  this  the  case  in  Great  Britain,  where  the 
church  includes  much  more  of  the  culture.  But 
there,  too,  the  daily  press,  the  magazines  and 
books,  furnish  abundant  proof  that  much  of  the 
culture  is  skeptical,  agnostic,  positivistic  and  ma- 
terialistic. Probably  of  all  lands  the  alienation 
between  the  church  and  culture  is  least  marked  in 
the  United  States.  The  church,  being  free  from 
the  state,  can  adapt  itself  to  the  needs  of  the 
people  more  readily,  and  new  organizations  can 
spring  up  as  required.  And  yet  there,  too,  numer- 
ous volumes  and  journals  attack  the  church,  to 
say  nothing  of  associations,  and  speakers  openly 
hostile  to  Christianity.  And  it  is  also  evident  that 
there  is  much  outward  conformity  to  religion, 
while  in  reality  doubt  and  indifference  prevail. 
There  are  evidences,  too,  that  doubt  and  agnosti- 
cism and  materialism  are  in  some  quarters  on  the 
increase  on  the  part  of  students  and  professional 
men. 

In  view  of  the  assaults  of  positivism,  agnos- 
ticism, and  criticism,  it  looks  as  if,  in  its  con- 
structive processes,  the  church  would  have  to 
begin  at  the  very  foundation.  When  the  prin- 
ciples are  attacked,  the  principles  must  first  of  all 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  24T 

be  firmly  established.  Behind  all  biblical  and  his- 
torical criticism  is  the  problem  of  the  basis  of 
spirituality  in  the  soul.  For  science  and  philos- 
ophy the  ultimate  appeal  is  neither  to  Scripture 
nor  to  history,  but  to  man  himself.  The  trend  of 
the  history  and  philosophy  of  religion  is  toward 
the  establishment  of  a  psychological  basis  of  re- 
ligion. As  grounded  in  the  very  nature  of  man, 
religion  not  only  exists  of  right  but  is  a  necessity. 
With  this  psychological  basis  established,  we  find 
history  and  Scripture  but  confirmations  of  religion. 
Christ's  religion,  with  its  wonderful  adaptation  to 
man,  brings  through  its  very  humanity  a  proof  of 
its  divinity.  Christianity  as  the  most  perfect  sys- 
tem has  claims  superior  to  all  other  religions  ;  and 
we  are  not  surprised  to  find  that  the  argument  has 
been  advanced,  that  even  if  regarded  as  only  the 
most  perfect  product  of  religious  evolution  it  must 
be  true ;  for  evolution,  proceeding  according  to 
necessary  laws,  cannot  err.  All  the  deeper  ten- 
dencies of  the  age  indicate  that  it  is  the  work  at 
the  bottom  which  must  first  of  all  be  well  done, 
and  then  the  work  on  the  superstructure  can  be 
continued.  There  is  little  use  in  patching  the  roof 
while  the  foundations  are  being  undermined. 
Christians  may  not  need  this  fundamental  work 
for  themselves  ;  but  it  is  essential  in  order  to  meet 
the  demands  of  the  culture  of  the  age. 

While   the   abuses   of    secular   culture   may  lie 
largely  beyond  the  influence  of  the  church,  it  can 


248  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

immediately  affect  such  abuses  as  are  found  within 
itself.  The  great  work  of  the  church  must  be 
within  and  upon  itself,  its  ilhimination  of  the  re- 
gion outside  depending  on  the  brilliancy  and  per- 
fection of  its  own  light.  Self-examination,  a  full 
realization  of  its  true  condition,  repentance,  refor- 
mation, and  inner  growth  are  primary  conditions 
of  efficiency.  As  freely  as  we  criticize  culture,  so 
freely  must  we  also  criticize  the  church.  In  all 
lands  leading  Christian  thinkers  admit,  that  there 
exist  conditions  in  the  church  itself  which  are  cal- 
culated to  alienate  culture.  And  how  deeply  cor- 
ruption has  affected  the  church  is  evident  from 
the  fact,  that  abuse  is  heaped  on  such  as  dare  hint 
that  for  some  prevalent  evils  in  society  the  church 
itself  is  to  blame.  So  far  has  the  disease  pro- 
gressed in  certain  quarters,  that  the  system  has 
lost  the  very  consciousness  of  its  existence  and 
seems  incapable  of  taking  the  needed  remedy. 

Not  only  in  individual  believers  but  also  in 
church  organization  much  prevails,  which  must 
repel  men  of  scientific  and  philosophical  culture. 
With  their  enlarged  conceptions  of  the  universe 
and  its  Ruler,  they  cannot  believe  that  God  places 
any  emphasis  on  the  trifles  which  so  often  absorb 
the  attention  of  believers,  but  to  the  thinker  seem 
a  degradation  of  religion.  Disputes  about  mere 
forms  of  worship,  when  spirit  and  truth  constitute 
its  essence,  seem  to  put  religion  on  the  level  of  the 
vanities.     A  stress  is  placed  on  rites,  on  govern- 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  249 

tnent,  and  on  sectarian  peculiarities,  which  lose 
their  significance  in  view  of  the  momentous  funda- 
mental problems  which  now  agitate  earnest  minds 
and  devout  hearts.  Often  religion  is  made  too 
eschatological,  and  the  divine  element  too  tran- 
scendental. It  is  common  also  for  theologians  to 
treat  as  finally  settled  what  seems  to  other  scholars 
as  still  an  open  question.  The  culture  outside  of 
the  church  thus  regards  as  problematic  much 
which  the  pulpit  presents  as  solved.  How  can 
theologians  expect  theology,  to  which  they  devote 
a  life  of  study,  to  be  equally  appreciated  and 
apprehended  by  those  who  make  of  it  no  specialty  ? 
Intricate  speculative  dogmas  are  usually  perplex- 
ing in  proportion  as  men  think  exactly  and  pro- 
foundly. Science  and  philosophy  train  men  to 
discover  problems  and  unfathomable  depths, 
where  others  see  only  the  surface  or  hear  only 
words.  Agnosticism  is  right  if  we  depend  wholly 
on  absolute  knowledge,  just  as  positivism  is  right, 
if  there  is  no  domain  beyond  science  ;  but  both 
are  wrong,  if  there  is  a  realm  of  faith.  Yet  even 
to  Christian  faith  there  are  deep  mysteries.  And 
as  there  is  a  Christian  positivism,  in  which  no  true 
believer  wavers,  so  there  is  a  Christian  agnos- 
ticism, of  which  the  apostle  Paul  is  the  most  emi- 
nent representative.  Instead  of  the  spiritual  real- 
ism with  which  the  Gospel  teems,  we  now  often 
find  an  astonishing  unreality  in  religion.  Opinions 
are  put  for  truth,  and  human  inventions  for  divine 


250  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

decrees.  Sermons  are  often  too  dogmatic,  not 
scriptural  enough,  not  giving  food  for  thought  and 
for  the  soul,  but  petrifactions,  finished,  unchange- 
able products,  to  be  laid  away  as  perfect,  and  to  be 
taken  up  when  needed.  There  seems  to  be  no 
disposition  to  present  problems  as  problems,  to  let 
the  hearers  consider  them  for  themselves  and  to 
treat  them  as  their  Christian  judgment  dictates. 
Culture  does  not  require  of  the  pulpit  a  cold  intel- 
lectuality, which  can  be  found  in  abundance  out- 
side of  the  pulpit ;  but  it  does  require  a  deep  and 
earnest  spirituality,  which  cannot  otherwise  be 
easily  obtained.  A  union  of  the  best  intellect- 
uality with  the  deepest  spirituality  is  urgently 
needed.  Sermons  antiquated  in  thought  and  in 
language,  unearthly,  unhuman,  remote  from  the 
actual  problems  and  interests  of  the  day,  are  not 
for  living  men  and  for  the  living  present. 

Specialists,  professional  men,  and  scholars  gen- 
erally are  more  apt  to  be  religious  than  theological. 
They  have  more  time  for  the  Bible  than  for  the- 
ology, and  the  creed  of  their  heart  is  likely  to  be 
far  more  elaborate  than  that  of  their  head.  A 
creed  in  simplest  language,  and  confined  to  the 
essentials  of  religion  and  faith,  is  far  more  accept- 
able to  them  than  one  full  of  archaisms,  with  terms 
that  engender  strife,  and  embodying  a  system  of 
theology  which  a  life-time  of  study  cannot  com- 
prehend. The  elaborate  confession  which  seems 
so  imposing  to  the  illiterate,  may  be  bewildering 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  351 

to  the  scholar  who  knows  its  history  and  appre- 
hends the  unsolved  problems  involved.  And 
some  scholars  cannot  comprehend  why  they 
should  not  go  directly  to  Scripture  for  their  doc- 
trines, if  it  is  the  Scripture  in  the  creed  which 
gives  that  creed  its  value.  To  them  it  is  clear 
that  the  confession,  which  was  once  an  actual  ex- 
pression of  the  faith  of  the  church,  has  now 
largely  become  the  symbol  of  a  faith  which  is  no 
subjective  reality,  and  is  used  merely  as  a  tradition 
of  faith,  as  a  means  of  organization,  and  as  a  sec- 
tarian bond.  The  thinker  knows  that  the  creed 
which  a  man  merely  adopts  is  apt  to  be  a  sham  ; 
and  that  only  the  word,  of  which  Christ  says  that 
it  is  spirit  and  life,  is  the  real  faith  of  a  man. 
The  actual  creed  of  a  church  and  believer  is  an 
organic  growth  in  the  heart  and  mind,  that  which 
is  really  lived,  not  that  which  was  made  in  the 
past. 

A  more  genuine  religious  spontaneity  is  de- 
manded by  culture.  Whoever  knows  the  liabilty 
of  the  human  mind  to  err,  cannot  understand  why 
so  much  more  stress  should  be  laid  on  logical  in- 
errancy than  on  the  heart's  devotion.  Can  a  God 
of  infinite  mercy  condemn  him  who  honestly  seeks 
the  truth,  and  yet  cannot  give  a  perfect  expression 
to  that  truth  in  intellectual  schedules  ?  From  free 
Scripture  free  men  may  freely  draw  their  own  con- 
clusions, helped  by  others,  by  the  church,  but  not 
enslaved  by  them.     Morality  and  religion  are  crea- 


252  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

tions  of  the  soul  tinder  ethical  and  spiritual  influ- 
ences ;  they  may  be  aided,  but  cannot  be  forced. 
Dogma  may  be  tyrannical ;  religion  is  tolerant ; 
Deep  and  broad  scholarship  may  be  religious,  and 
yet  hesitate  to  give  final  utterances  on  speculative 
subjects.  It  is  not  clear  why  the  church  should 
not  have  larger  place  for  the  prayer  which  Christ 
heard  :  "  Lord,  I  believe  ;  help  thou  mine  unbe- 
lief." Perhaps  more  room  for  that  prayer  would 
promote  growth,  where  now  dogmatic  stagnation 
reigns. 

The  church  which  appreciates  the  present  diffi- 
culties of  religious  thinkers  must  be  tolerant. 
How  severe  often  the  trials  of  honest  scholars, 
who  work  their  way  to  religion  through  the  laby- 
rinths of  science  and  the  abysses  of  philosophy  ! 
Of  the  intellectual  barriers  in  the  waj^  of  faith  in 
certain  departments  of  thought  those  who  devote 
themselves  exclusively  to  theology  and  religion 
can  have  no  conception.  With  the  intensest 
yearning  for  faith  the  intellect  may  meet  with 
almost  insuperable  difficulties,  so  that  scholars 
confess,  with  the  philosopher  Jacobi,  that  with  the 
heart  they  are  Christian,  but  with  the  head  hea- 
then. Science  and  philosophy  intensify  the  de- 
mand for  truth  and  realism,  and  prevent  confes- 
sions which  either  lack  clearness  or  sufficient 
proof.  The  will,  the  disposition,  the  spirit  may  be 
inclined  to  religion,  and  Christ's  teachings  may 
exert  an  almost  irresistible  power,  while  the  intel- 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  353 

lect  meets  with  obstacles  which  the  pulpit,  theol- 
ogy, and  the  church  increase.  The  number  of 
such  persons  is  already  large  and  apparently  on 
the  increase.  Their  state  must  be  fairly  considered 
by  the  church  if  culture  is  not  to  be  banished,  or 
if  it  is  to  be  won  when  alienated.  Their  upright- 
ness, their  devotion  to  truth,  their  tolerance,  their 
religious  aspirations,  and  their  faith  and  love  de- 
serve full  recognition.  Perhaps  they  are  with  the 
Baptist  on  the  way  to  Christ.  Often  their  spirit  is 
worthy  of  imitation,  and  such  as  we  cannot  but 
believe  that  Christ  would  have  welcomed.  A 
failure  to  appreciate  their  situation,  and  instead  of 
this  to  charge  to  a  wicked  heart  or  a  perverse  will 
what  is  really  a  difficulty  of  the  truth-loving  mind, 
can  only  serve  to  drive  away  such  as  might  be 
bright  lights  in  the  church. 

The  demands  of  the  pew  may  be  exceedingly 
difficult  to  satisfy,  and  frequently  they  are  unjust. 
But  it  should  be  remembered  that  questions  of 
criticism  are  no  longer  confined  to  theologians  ; 
they  have  entered  the  pew.  It  is  therefore  a  rea- 
sonable requirement  that  the  pulpit  be  informed 
on  these  questions.  This  of  course  does  not  mean 
that  every  new  theory  must  at  once  be  introduced 
into  the  pulpit,  to  the  confusion  of  such  as  are  not 
in  a  condition  to  investigate  such  problems.  Mere 
negations  are  a  weakness  of  our  age,  and  some 
seem  to  delight  in  them  for  the  sake  of  novelty.  It 
is  the  positive  elements  which  are  for  edification. 


254  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Where  these  are  properly  presented,  the  prevalent 
criticism  need  not  be  feared.  But  what  is  a  mere 
theory,  and  is  likely  to  yield  soon  to  another, 
should  be  distinguished  from  what  is  actually  set- 
tled. One  who  knows  what  transformations  crit- 
cism  has  undergone  and  is  still  undergoing,  will 
be  careful  about  its  use  for  unsettling  faith  which 
needs  edifying.  With  that  perfect  freedom  in 
critical  inquiries,  which  is  a  demand  of  Protestant- 
ism, we  must  also  insist  that  criticism  is  not  the 
creative  force  in  spiritual  life.  It  is  not  the  end 
which  so  many  make  it,  but  only  the  means  to  an 
end,  namely,  to  the  actual  contents  of  Scripture 
and  history. 

Tolerance  is  usually  preached  by  liberals  to  the 
orthodox  ;  and  yet  liberals  may  be  most  illiberal 
and  sadly  lack  the  tolerance  they  preach.  Some- 
times they  denounce  the  orthodox  as  if  they  had 
no  right  to  their  views,  and  are  truly  liberal  only 
to  siich  as  agree  with  them.  Thus  in  Germany 
religious  liberalism  is  in  many  instances  narrowly 
intolerant. 

Equally  unjust  is  the  claim  of  liberalism  with 
respect  to  ecclesiastical  positions.  Severely  as  an 
intolerant  church  is  denounced,  what  shall  be  said 
of  men  who  violate  the  trust  committed  to  them  ? 
It  is  self-evident  that  no  Christian  will  take  an 
oath  which  he  cannot  faithfully  keep  ;  and  if  all 
free  scholars  would  refuse  to  take  an  intolerant 
oath  in   assuming   a  professorship,   some   of    the 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  255 

schools  might  soon  be  obliged  to  make  their  con- 
ditions more  Protestant.  A  church  has  a  right  to 
protect  what  it  regards  as  sacred  doctrines ;  if  its 
means  of  protection  are  intolerant,  tolerant  men 
have  a  right  to  withdraw  from  its  communion  and 
go  where  they  can  feel  at  home.  Such  a  course 
would  hasten  the  end  of  intolerant  and  narrow 
churches.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  problem  of 
the  relation  of  freedom  to  authority  in  the  church 
has  not  yet  been  solved.  And  in  our  day,  when 
there  is  a  strong  tendency  to  reject  all  ecclesiasti- 
cal authority,  it  is  necessary  to  reject  libertinism 
as  emphatically  as  to  emphasize  true  freedom. 

What  has  been  said  about  men  of  culture  in 
general  applies  largely  to  theological  students  and 
to  preachers.  Unless  the  signs  of  the  times  de- 
ceive, a  crisis  in  theological  study  is  at  hand.  The 
unrest  in  theological  circles  of  England,  Scotland, 
and  the  United  States  is  very  significant.  Often 
the  agitation  is  strongest  in  the  foremost  minds. 
Earnest,  energetic,  and  gifted  young  men  are  said 
to  dismiss  the  thought  of  studying  theology,  be- 
cause they  decline  to  say  now  what  the  result  of 
all  their  theological  training  shall  be.  It  looks  to 
them  like  mental  slavery ;  and  it  seems  to  them 
that  prejudice  is  made  to  determine  what  free  in- 
quiry alone  can  settle.  If  they  study  and  do  not 
attain  the  dogmatic  results  required  of  them,  they 
know  that  their  ecclesiastical  status  will  be  lost. 
The  risks  are  too  great,  the  conditions  unaccept- 
able, and  so  they  turn  to  other  pursuits. 


256  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Those  who  enter  upon  the  study  of  theology 
frequently  find  their  course  beset  with  difficulty. 
Many  complain  that  they  are  not  taught  to  build 
up  their  theology  from  Scripture,  as  Protestantism 
requires,  but  that  it  has  been  built  up  for  them 
long  ago.  The  very  light  in  which  Scripture 
must  be  read  is  decided  by  dogmatic  views ;  and 
when  dogmatic  theories  of  inspiration  are  ques- 
tioned, as  is  so  often  the  case  now,  then  they  find 
that  they  have  not  learned  to  form  their  theory 
of  inspiration  from  the  contents  of  Scripture.  The 
rule,  that  the  denominational  view  must  prevail  at 
any  cost,  has  lost  its  charm  with  many  students ; 
and  yet  they  cannot  but  feel  that  for  that  purpose 
the  school  was  established,  the  professors  ap- 
pointed, and  for  that  the  students  are  supposed  to 
exist.  There  are  institutions  which  would  regard 
as  a  traitor  a  professor,  who  made  the  truth  his 
aim  irrespective  of  denominational  views,  and 
made  the  doctrinal  standards  objects  of  candid 
criticism,  and  the  start  for  new  and  greater  and 
better  truth.  Candor  compels  the  statement  that 
traditionalism,  doctrinalism,  and  ecclesiasticism  are 
frequently  in  the  way  of  that  objective  realism 
which  the  age  insists  on.  There  are  theological 
faculties  that  make  it  their  chief  aim  to  prepare 
the  students  for  their  great  work  by  teaching 
them  to  think  for  themselves,  teachers,  books,  and 
the  denomination  being  but  aids  to  make  them 
free  and  strong  Christian  thinkers  ;  but  are  they 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  257 

rule  ?  The  usual  report  of  students  is  that  all  is  run 
in  a  sectarian  groove  ;  that  the  opinions  of  writers 
antagonistic  to  the  denomination  are  quoted  for 
refutation,  not  for  fair  investigation  ;  that  an  en- 
largement of  mind,  so  as  to  comprehend  the  whole 
kingdom  of  God,  is  out  of  the  question  ;  and  that 
these  institutions  are  not  the  places  where  one  gets 
full  and  candid  statements  respecting  the  actual 
state  of  the  theology  of  the  day.  The  best  stu- 
dents often  lament  that  their  difficulties  were  not 
met,  and  that  they  received  no  adequate  idea  of 
the  great  historical  and  critical  problems  respect- 
ing the  Old  and  the  New  Testament.  Some  leave 
these  institutions  with  the  conviction,  that  they 
were  better  prepared  for  archaeological  pursuits 
than  for  the  work  of  the  present.  It  is  astounding 
how  of  late  years  the  number  of  theological  stu- 
dents and  preachers  has  increased,  who  have  aban- 
doned all  hope  that  the  theological  seminaries  will 
meet  the  demands  made  on  them  ! 

Most  painful  of  all  is  the  fact  that  theological 
students  and  preachers,  in  lands  where  the  church 
is  free,  bitterly  complain  that  during  their  training 
they  were  subjected  to  a  species  of  mental  slavery. 
In  not  a  few  cases  the  reasons  for  what  has  been 
learned  must  be  sought  after  leaving  the  seminary, 
or  the  faith  has  to  be  entirely  reconstructed.  What 
was  learned  must  be  unlearned  again.  The  pro- 
cess of  mental  development  was  not  living  and 
organic ;  it  was  rather  a  heaping  up  of  learned 
17 


258  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

material  than  an  unfolding  of  intellectual  and  spir- 
itual power.  The  trend  of  modern  thought  is  irre- 
sistibly pushing  Scripture  and  church  history  into 
the  place  heretofore  occupied  by  dogmatics,  and  is 
putting  personal  inquiry  and  thorough  criticism  in 
the  place  of  traditionalism. 

Even  in  Germany,  where  thought  is  most  free, 
many  theological  students  fear  that  they  cannot 
meet  the  dogmatic  requirements  made  at  their 
examination  and  by  the  chnrch.  The  gulf  be- 
tween the  old  and  modern  theological  thought, 
which  all  the  world  sees,  must  be  considered  by 
the  church.  That  gulf  must  be  filled  or  bridged, 
or  the  church  and  culture  will  be  irreconcilably 
divorced. 

In  view  of  the  culture  of  the  day  the  theological 
training  is  in  many  instances  wholly  inadequate, 
not  only  from  the  intellectual  but  also  from  the 
spiritual  side.  Some  of  the  theological  seminaries 
are  making  earnest  efforts  to  remove  the  evils. 
When  so  much  prominence  is  given  to  science, 
philosophy,  sociology,  the  history  and  philosophy 
of  religion,  the  relation  of  these  subjects  to  theo- 
logical study  ought  to  be  taught  in  every  seminary. 
It  should  be  evident  how  religion  is  affected  by 
philosophy  and  science,  what  the  exact  sphere  of 
each  is,  and  how  they  maybe  harmonized.  Where 
the  theological  faculty  is  a  part  of  the  great  or- 
ganism of  a  university,  as  in  Germany,  the  con- 
nection of   theology   with    the   whole   domain   of 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  259 

thought  is  more  apparent  than  where  the  faculty 
is  isolated.  Not  only  do  the  theological  professors 
feel  the  influence  of  other  branches,  but  the)^  must 
also  remain  in  living  contact  with  them  ;  and  the 
students  can  pass  from  a  lecture  on  theology  to 
one  on  science  or  philosophy.  But  even  when  iso- 
lated, theology  must  determine  its  relation  to  the 
great  problems  which  agitate  the  culture  of  the 
day,  and  in  fact  constitute  its  essence.  The  prob- 
lems of  criticism  and  of  modern  thought  have  en-  • 
tered  China  and  Japan,  and  cannot  be  shut  out  of 
schools  in  Christian  lands.  Christian  thought  must 
advance ;  to  stand  still  or  to  retrograde  means  to 
be  left  behind. 

In  relation  to  culture  the  church  now  has  rare 
opportunities.  An  approach  toward  religion  is 
manifest  in  various  quarters.  A  merely  negative 
attitude  to  the  great  interests  of  the  soul  does  not 
satisfy.  From  the  ranks  of  philosophy  and  science 
men  are  seeking  a  way  to  religion.  Their  theology 
as  well  as  their  religion  is  often  peculiar  ;  but  the 
very  interest  in  spirituality  deserves  encourage- 
ment. All  the  ways  from  art  and  literature  and 
philosophy  and  science  to  Christianity  should  be 
made  as  plain  as  possible,  and  the  slightest  dispo- 
sition toward  spirituality  deserves  encouragement. 
The  problem  for  religion  is  not  how  it  can  give  up 
its  principles  so  as  to  make  them  acceptable  to 
culture  ;  but  how  it  can  so  adapt  itself  to  culture 
as  to  make  that  culture  Christian. 


260  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Overwhelming  are  the  demands  made  on  the 
church  by  culture  ;  but  surely  that  is  no  reason  for 
ignoring  them.  They  ought  to  be  fairly  and  fully 
studied,  especially  by  those  who  love  the  church, 
who  know  its  trials  and  difficulties,  who  are  sure 
that  nothing  can  shake  the  firm  foundation  of  its 
faith,  and  who  appreciate  its  sacrifices  and  its  effi- 
ciency. Among  the  most  trying  demands  are  the 
profoundly  intellectual  ones.  The  vanities  and 
petty  quarrels  in  churches  are  proof  that  these 
momentous  problems  are  not  appreciated.  If  these 
demands  are  to  be  met,  there  must  be  progress 
from  the  narrow  to  the  large,  and  from  the  little 
to  the  great  things.  The  ground  of  despair  is  in 
the  church  :  in  the  absorbing  devotion  to  trifles 
and  secondary  matters,  when  greatness,  depths 
breadth,  and  the  largeness  of  God's  kingdom  are 
the  demand.  Perhaps  he  who  would  rise  to  the 
demands  of  the  hour  must  isolate  himself,  and 
must  face  bitter  and  bigoted  opposition  from  the 
ministry  and  the  laity.  Instead  of  the  church,  he 
must  make  God,  Scripture,  the  divine  Spirit,  and 
his  conscience  his  guide.  There  are  regions  where 
a  minister  can  hardly  study  a  scientific  or  philo- 
sophical specialty,  without  arousing  suspicion  that 
he  has  become  false  to  his  calling  as  a  preacher. 
Even  with  the  example  of  Paul  at  Athens  before 
them,  Christians  speak  of  a  simple  Gospel,  when 
they  really  mean  an  ignorant  Gospel.  There  are 
regions  where  a  student  or  professor  is  denounced 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  261 

as  a  renegade,  if  he  goes  to  Germany  in  order 
freely  to  investigate  the  great  critical  and  histor- 
ical problems,  which  he  must  investigate  if  his 
heart  is  to  be  at  rest  and  his  ministry  honest.  And 
there  are  regions  where  men  summarily  dispose  of 
problems  they  have  not  investigated,  and  denounce 
earnest  students  whose  only  crime  is  a  love  of  truth 
that  is  stronger  than  life. 

In  the  presence  of  the  highest  culture  of  the 
day  this  spirit  means  defeat.  It  is  a  wrong  to  the 
church  of  Christ.  That  church  must  insist  on  de- 
bating and  settling  every  question  according  to 
the  merits  of  the  case.  The  church  that  welcomes 
children  and  the  illiterate  should  also  have  room 
for  the  deepest  and  broadest  and  most  independent 
intellect ;  and  where  the  most  reverent  spirituality 
prevails,  the  highest  intellectuality  should  find  a 
home. 

Many  objections  to  religion  on  the  part  of  culture 
result  from  inquiries  that  are  not  deep  enough. 
Doubt  is  often  shallow.  The  one  advice  is :  Go 
deeper,  get  to  the  bottom,  there  the  spirituality, 
which  doos  not  lie  on  the  surface  you  traverse,  will 
be  found.  Verily,  there  is  no  more  urgent  need 
than  the  living  truth  of  Scripture  in  a  living  way, 
but  with  an  adaptation  that  requires  divine  as  well 
as  human  wisdom.  Our  earthly  and  empirical 
times  are  not  easily  affected  by  preaching  which 
begins  and  ends  with  God  and  heaven  ;  it  is  too 
remote  from  men.      But  preaching  which  begins 


262  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

with  the  soul,  adapts  spiritual  truth  to  the  hearty 
and  leads  the  spirit  up  to  God,  has  not  lost  its  pow- 
er. As  men  have  become  conscious  of  themselves, 
they  demand  what  is  suited  to  them  ;  and  what  is 
more  deeply  adapted  to  them  than  the  teachings 
of  Christ  ?  Vital  religion  is  for  all  living  men  ; 
but  for  the  cultured  it  must  not  be  presented  in  a 
manner  that  ignores  the  problems  which  fill  the 
hearts  and  minds  of  scholars.  This  does  not  im- 
ply that  a  sermon  is  to  be  loaded  with  philosoph- 
ical and  scientific  theories,  which  are  everywhere 
accessible  to  men  of  culture,  and  which  the  pew 
may  understand  better  than  the  pulpit.  But  in 
deep  spirituality  scholars  may  find  a  needed  com- 
plement to  their  ordinary  pursuits.  Not  so  much 
are  ordinary  apologetic  sermons  the  regular  de- 
mand, as  sermons  based  on  principles  which  un- 
derlie all  apologetics,  and  which  are  in  their  essense 
and  effect  apologetic,  since  they  undermine  doubt, 
and  yet  do  not  let  the  apologetics  appear  on  the 
surface. 

The  age  has  no  taste  for  theological  controversy. 
It  suspects  in  the  disputants  prejudice,  partisan 
zeal,  and  a  carnal  love  of  conquest.  The  dog- 
matic indifference  of  the  day  is  apt  to  degenerate 
into  indifference  to  truth  and  its  sharp  formula- 
tion. Yet  the  truth  must  be  put  into  the  best 
form,  and  on  its  maintenance  the  existence  and 
power  of  the  church  depend.  All  that  has  been 
done  in  the  past  to  formulate  and  defend  the  truth 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  26^ 

is  but  a  condition  for  still  greater  effort  and  still 
deeper  work.  After  hearing  so  much  about  broad 
men  in  theology,  the  time  may  come  when  we 
shall  also  hear  of  deep  men. 

Without  fear  of  losing  its  prestige  theology 
must  honestly  recognize  and  treat  problems  as 
problems,  not  as  solutions.  There  are  human  and 
divine  subjects  on  which  inquiry  can  never  cease  ; 
and  the  prof oundest  and  freest  investigation  should 
be  most  encouraged.  The  minimum  of  faith  must, 
as  we  have  seen,  be  the  condition  of  Christian  fel- 
lowship ;  the  church  of  Christ  can  exclude  no  one 
whom  Christ  would  accept.  Whatever  is  true  and 
good,  no  matter  where  found,  is  a  schoolmaster 
unto  Christ.  It  does  not  appear  why  the  Christian 
cannot  everywhere  recognize  the  kinship  of  hon- 
esty of  purpose,  earnestness  of  spirit,  love  of  truth, 
and  faithfulness  to  conviction.  Jesus  prefers  an 
honest  publican  to  a  hypocritical  Pharisee.  There 
is  much  evil  in  the  church  that  should  be  cast  out ; 
and  there  is  much  good  outside  of  the  church 
which  ought  to  be  in  it.  How  much  the  church 
can  teach,  and  how  much  the  church  can  learn! 

A  strong  faith  in  the  omnipotence  of  truth  is 
needed.  Men  may  have  to  pass  through  crises  in 
order  to  discover  and  become  the  truth  ;  and  the 
truth  itself  may  have  to  pass  through  various 
crises  in  order  to  attest  its  power  and  secure  the 
victory.  The  machinery  which  men  manufacture 
to  support  the  truth,  is  often  but  a  confession,  that 


264  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

truth  is  thoug-ht  not  to  have  the  power  to  support 
itself.  The  truth  requires  nothing  but  to  be  known 
as  truth.  And  especially  is  there  need  of  that 
heroic  faith,  which  never  doubts  that  God  will 
lead  into  the  truth  every  soul  that  trusts  Him  and 
unreservedly  consecrates  itself  to  the  cause  of 
truth.  What  an  awful  fate,  if  an  earnest  heart 
were  persuaded  that  God  will  consign  it  to  per- 
dition, because  wholly  intent  on  discovering  the 
truth!  If  the  free  and  honest  search  for  truth 
leads  out  of  the  church,  then  the  church  has  no 
room  for  the  best  culture  of  the  day,  and  its  ex- 
alted mission  is  at  an  end. 

We  have  seen  that  the  prevailing  culture  is  in 
many  respects  false,  and  needs  moral  and  spiritual 
leavening.  Were  the  church  to  capitulate  to  every 
new  and  rapidly  changing  philosophical  system, 
and  were  it  to  trail  its  banner  in  the  dust  at  the 
command  of  every  new  hypothesis  advanced  in 
the  name  of  science,  it  would  not  be  worthy  of  re- 
spect. Systems  change ;  religion  abides.  This 
applies  also  to  theological  systems  ;  and  it  is  a 
monstrous  perversion  to  identify  them  with  re- 
ligion. Where  was  theology  in  Christ's  day? 
Where  would  the  illiterate  disciples,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  women  and  children,  have  been  if  required 
to  master  our  modern  divinity?  Theologies  are 
human  and  transient,  as  are  the  ages  and  philoso- 
phies which  helped  to  form  them,  and  whose  ex- 
pression they  are.     Whatever  may  be  said  of  the 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  265 

Ritschl  school,  it  deserves  credit  for  emphasizing 
this  fact.  That  theology  therefore  develop  and 
progress  with  the  ages  is  the  very  condition  of  its 
vitality,  its  value,  and  of  its  adaptation.  As  other 
ages,  as  those  of  the  church  fathers  and  the  Refor- 
mation, did  their  thinking,  so  their  lesson  to  our 
age  is  that  it  must  likewise  do  its  own  thinking. 
But  just  because  our  age  is  to  do  its  own  thinking, 
that  thinking  must  be  that  of  an  age  which  has 
learned  from  the  past,  knows  the  fathers  and  the 
reformers,  and  makes  Scripture,  history,  and  the 
church  factors  in  its  thought.  Nothing  can  be 
more  irrational  than  a  necessarily  limited  subjec- 
tivity, which  makes  itself  the  standard  of  objective 
realism,  while  ignoring  what  the  ages  and  the 
church  have  thought  and  decreed  and  pronounced 
an  authority.  As  a  union  of  the  highest  intel- 
lectuality and  deepest  spirituality  are  now  re- 
quired, so  must  depth  and  breadth  be  united  ;  and 
the  old  saying,  "  Not  many  things,  but  much," 
must  be  changed  to  read,  Many  things  for  the 
sake  of  much. 

The  time  has  also  come  when  it  should  seriously 
be  considered,  whether  many  terms  dear  to  cul- 
ture and  expressive  of  real  values  ought  not  to 
find  a  home  in  Christian  theology,  instead  of  being 
treated  as  hostile  to  religion.  Their  meaning 
must  of  course  be  changed  ;  but  this  is  easy,  since 
they  contain  so  much  that  is  especially  dear  to  the 
Christian. 


266  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

In  the  best  and  truest  sense,  he  whom  Christ 
makes  free  should  be  a  "  free-thinker."  Those  now 
designated  by  that  term  may  be  enslaved  by  pas- 
sion, or  impelled  by  vanity  or  prejudice,  and  may 
be  free  only  from  conscience  and  reason.  The 
term  "rationalist"  is  now  used  most  irrationally, 
being  applied  to  various  classes  from  Christian 
thinkers  to  an  atheistic  vStrauss.  Intellectual 
self-respect  should  make  this  unmeaning  vague- 
ness impossible.  A  "rationalistic  orthodoxy"  is 
the  latest  discovery.  There  are  quarters  where 
Paul  would  be  denounced  as  a  rationalist,  if  for 
the  first  time  he  uttered  the  words,  "Prove  all 
things  ;  hold  fast  that  which  is  good."  So  far  as 
the  term  emphasizes  the  just  demands  of  reason, 
the  Christian  ought  to  be  a  rationalist.  He  should 
be  able  to  give  a  reason  for  the  hope  in  him  ;  and 
if  his  faith  is  not  rational,  must  it  not  be  irrational  ? 
It  is  only  in  a  sense  hostile  to  true  reason  that 
"rationalist"  expresses  any  thing  averse  to  Chris- 
tian faith. 

On  the  Continent  it  is  common  to  put  liberal 
against  orthodox  Christianity.  But  how  ominous  \ 
It  actually  implies  that  the  orthodox  are  not  lib- 
eral, which  leaves  only  the  inference  that  they  are 
illiberal.  The  term  "broad  "  is  used  for  views  re- 
jected by  Evangelical  Christians.  But  are  we 
then  to  infer  that  Evangelical  Christianity  is  nar- 
row ?  The  term  is  often  employed  to  designate 
men  who  are  shallow,  who  are  indifferent  to  truth. 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  367 

and  who  are  ready  to  compromise  with  the  world  ; 
and  it  is  self-evident  that  in  this  sense  the  desig- 
nation is  no  honor.  But  in  the  best  sense  Chris- 
tians must  be  broad,  just  as  is  the  kingdom  of 
God.  So  humanitarianism  is  pitted  against  Chris- 
tianity, as  if  this  lacked  the  humanitarian  element. 
A  humane  Christianity  is  sometimes  spoken  of, 
just  as  if  there  were  a  Christianity  that  is  not  hu- 
mane. 

One  term  is  common  in  theological  circles  which 
has  received  a  signification  which  men  accustomed 
to  think  of  the  meaning  of  their  words  find  in- 
comprehensible ;  namely,  "  Christian  conscious- 
ness." Theologians  violently  argue  against  the 
Christian  consciousness  of  the  age  as  the  ultimate 
appeal  in  matters  of  faith.  Do  they  really  under- 
stand the  import  of  their  objection  ?  What  con- 
sciousness, if  not  the  Christian,  is  the  ultimate  ap- 
peal ?  That  of  the  world  ?  That  of  a  past  age  ? 
Certainly  not,  for  the  Christian  cannot  appeal  to  a 
consciousness  which  he  has  not  got.  He  must  ap- 
peal to  Scripture,  it  is  said.  This  seems  conclusive  ; 
and  yet  it  is  a  fallacy,  when  the  appeal  to  Scrip- 
ture is  pitted  against  the  appeal  to  the  Christian 
consciousness.  How  can  a  theologian  appeal  to 
Scripture,  except  so  far  as  it  is  a  part  of  his  con- 
sciousness ?  The  Christian's  appeal  for  Christian 
truth  is  always  an  appeal  to  the  Christian  con- 
sciousness ;  but  in  this  consciousness  that  which 
is  letter  and  symbol  in  Scripture  is  a  living  con- 


268  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

tent.  We  can  say  that  it  is  the  Scripture  in  the 
Christian  consciousness  of  the  age,  to  which  the 
ultimate  appeal  is  made :  but  that  is  still  the 
Christian  consciousness.  Luther,  Spener,  and 
Wesley,  no  less  than  Schleiermacher,  aimed  to 
make  outer  and  objective  faith  inner  and  subjec- 
tive, so  that  it  might  be  an  actual  possession  of  the 
believer,  namely,  his  Christian  consciousness.  A 
man  can  no  more  leave  his  consciousness  in  think- 
ing, than  his  intellect  can  step  out  of  the  mind 
into  things.  This  is  but  a  single  illustration  of 
the  need  of  thinking  through  theological  terms  in 
common  use,  in  order  to  get  from  the  words  to 
the  thoughts.  When,  however,  the  consciousness 
is  severed  from  Scripture,  or  is  even  pitted  against 
Scripture,  then  it  is  difficult  to  see  in  what  sense 
it  is  a  Christian  consciousness. 

Not  in  negations  or  mere  attacks  is  the  hope  of 
the  church  with  respect  to  culture,  but  in  the  best 
positive  work,  such  as  its  own  growth  in  truth,  in 
intellectuality  and  in  spirituality.  Not  by  mini- 
mizing moral  precepts  and  religious  earnestness 
can  culture  be  transformed.  Religion  and  ethics 
ought  to  be  made  more  full  and  more  vital  than 
heretofore.  The  attention  now  devoted  to  biblical 
and  historical  criticism  is  in  danger  of  leading  to 
a  neglect  of  the  relation  of  religion  to  science  and 
philosophy.  While  the  church  is  intent  on  solving 
the  critical  problems,  it  cannot  afford  to  forget 
that  the  scientific  and  philosophical  problems  are 


THE  CHURCH  A  ND  CULTURE.  269 

also    of    first    importance,     and    that    they    are 
intimately     connected     with     the     critical    ones. 
Thoroughly  devout  Christian  philosophers  and  sci- 
entists are  as  urgently  in  demand,  as  able  preach- 
ers   and    profound    theologians.      A    remarkable 
development    of   apologetic    literature   has   taken 
place  in  Catholicism ;  but  outside  of  that  church 
the  suspicion  prevails  that  it  is  a  foregone  conclu- 
sion, and  not  the  free  scientific  spirit  which  that 
literature  aims  to  promote.     The  world  looks  with 
a  similar  suspicion  on  Protestant  apologetics.     But 
if  by   encouraging    science  and    philosophy,   the 
church  can  produce  free  systems  of  thought  supe- 
rior to  those  now  used  against  Christianity,  then 
its   purpose   will   be   accomplished.     Here  is   the 
grand  opportunity   for   Christian   scholars.     Well 
has  it  been  said  that  the  wounds  struck  by  learn- 
ing must  be  healed  by  learning.     The  church  will 
be  the  leader  of  the  culture  of  the  day  in  propor- 
tion as  it  is  the  actual  leader  in  science  and  phi- 
losophy.     But    science   and   philosophy  must  be 
cultivated  for  their  own  sake,  if  they  are  to  be  free 
and  are  to  attain  the  highest  perfection.     Now  the 
exact  nature    of    science    and    philosophy,    their 
spheres,  their  limits,  their  relation  to  each  other, 
and  to  theology  and  religion,  are  among  the  most 
vital  themes  for  Christian    thinkers  and  for  the 
culture  of  the  age. 

The  harmony  of  the  church  and  culture  is  an 
ideal    whose   perfect   realization    is   not  possible. 


270      THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

The  church  is  most  powerful  in  the  removal  of  the 
evils  within  its  own  pale.  The  evils  in  the  culture 
of  the  day  are  largely  beyond  its  reach.  Not  a 
tyrannical  dominion  over  culture  can  be  the  aim 
of  the  church,  but  the  effort  to  leaven  culture  with 
the  best  ethical  and  spiritual  elements.  The 
church,  having  made  itself  the  embodiment  of  the 
best  culture,  must  put  itself  into  organic  connec- 
tion with  the  highest  thought,  and  communicate  to 
it  the  inspiration  of  the  Christian  life.  If  it  can- 
not do  this  on  account  of  the  perversion  of  culture, 
it  should  be  remembered  that  Christ  could  not 
win  the  culture  of  His  day,  but  turned  to  the 
people. 

Numerous  efforts  to  put  something  in  place  of 
the  existing  churches  may  be  expected.  Men  ex- 
cluded from  the  churches,  or  dissatisfied  with  them, 
will  doubtless  organize  associations  which  give 
them  the  desired  freedom  of  thought  and  action. 
Buddhistic,  theosophic,  humanitarian,  and  ethical 
societies  have  already  been  established.  Some 
want  to  put  Christianity  in  a  line  with  the  great 
ethnic  religions,  but  giving  it  the  first  place.  Es- 
pecially powerful  is  the  Christian  teaching  with 
respect  to  love,  and  many  are  prepared  to  accept 
it  as  an  ethical  and  social  law  who  reject  dogmatic 
Christianity.  Sometimes  these  associations  espec- 
ially emphasize  what  they  think  lacking  in  the 
churches.  Even  on  Christian  principles  and  doc- 
trines individual  churches  may  be  founded,  which 


THE  CHURCH  AND  CULTURE.  271 

make  an  ethical  and  practical  Christianity  espec- 
ially prominent.     There  is  an  unmistakable  trend 
in  the  churches  themselves  to  make  the  minimum 
of  Christian  doctrine  the  basis  of  fellowship,  and 
to  get  this  directly  from  the  Bible  and  express  it 
in  biblical  terms,  just  enough    for    organization, 
just   what   Christ   and   the   apostles   would   have 
deemed  sufficient.      The  emphasis  would  then  be 
placed  on  communion  with  God  through  Christ, 
on  the  religious  spirit,  on  the  disposition,  on  Chris- 
tian love  as  the  unifying  element,  on  the  religion 
of  the  heart  and  the  life.     Personal  Christian  trust 
would   then   take   the   place  of  what  is  now   ex- 
pressed in  intellectual  formulas.     Already  in  many 
cases  this  trust  prevails  in  our  churches  instead  of 
dogmatic  faith  ;   often  men  of  culture  accept  the 
views  of  denominations  with  mental  reservations. 
But  whatever  associations  maybe  formed,  whether 
ethical,  or  tentatively  Christian,  or  for  the  practice 
of  loving  benevolence,  they  may  be  preparations 
for  leading  the  members  into  a  fuller  knowledge 
of  Scripture  and  unto  Christ. 

The  most  serious  difficulty  the  culture  of  the 
day  finds  respecting  Christianity  is  the  miraculous 
and  supernatural  element.  This  difficulty  is  largely 
owing  to  the  conception  of  God.  He  is  not  appre- 
hended as  personal,  as  immanent  in  nature,  as 
really  concerned  for  man.  With  the  Christian 
conception  of  God,  the  miraculous  and  supernat- 
ural element  in  Christianity  became  natural,  just 


272  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

what  ought  to  be  expected.  Culture  is  apt  to 
form  its  conception  of  God  too  much  from  nature^ 
and  to  treat  objects  of  faith  too  strictl}-  as  if  they 
were  objects  of  science.  The  fact  is  that  the  cul- 
ture of  the  day  insists  too  exclusively  on  knowl- 
edge and  is  not  prepared  for  faith.  But  culture 
has  its  fashions,  and  this  one  may  change.  That 
the  right  of  most  thorough  investigation  and  most 
profound  criticism  with  respect  to  the  miraculous 
and  supernatural  elements  must  be  tolerated  and 
even  invited,  requires  no  special  mention. 

As  thus  we  consider  the  church  and  culture,  we 
marvel  at  the  problems  which  burst  upon  us.  Not 
the  existence  of  these  problems  is  so  new  as  the 
awakening  of  consciousness  to  their  apprehension. 
But  the  awakening  which  apprehends  the  prob- 
lems is  also  the  first  condition  for  their  solution. 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  273 


CHAPTER    IX. 

The  Church  and  Socialism. 

Socialism,  the  most  striking  popular  movement 
of  the  times,  is  a  problem  of  profound  depth,  of 
intense  interest,  and  of  the  gravest  importance. 
Ours  is  peculiarly  the  age  for  the  rising  of  the 
masses,  with  mighty  upheavals  at  the  bottom  of 
society,  when  the  power  is  virtually  in  the  hands 
of  the  common  people  and  majorities  rule.  As 
veins  in  the  earth  unite  and  burst  forth  in  a  foun- 
tain, so  there  have  been  below  the  surface  of  soci- 
ety historic  social  movements,  which  now  burst 
forth  with  surprising  and  even  startling  force. 
The  stream  issuing  from  this  fountain  may  be- 
come less  muddy  and  less  turbulent  in  its  course, 
but  in  volume  and  force  it  is  likely  to  increase. 
Already  socialism  has  become  so  mighty  that  it  is 
absorbing  the  attention  of  emperors,  kings,  diplo- 
mats, and  statesmen  ;  it  is  concentrating  on  its 
problems  much  of  the  best  thought  and  deepest 
scholarship  ;  a  host  of  specialists  is  engaged  in 
studying  its  principles,  in  mastering  its  details, 
and  in  searching  for  the  conditions  to  meet  its 
overwhelming  demands  ;  in  the  Catholic  church 
i8 


274  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

the  power  from  the  pope  to  the  humblest  priest 
and  weakest  member  of  an  order,  is  exerted  to  the 
utmost  to  gain  control  of  the  movement ;  and  ear- 
nest Evangelical  Christians,  with  their  finger  on 
the  pulse  of  the  age,  declare  that  the  power  and 
glory  of  Protestantism  are  at  an  end,  unless  it  can 
at  last  be  aroused  to  ponder  deeply  the  socialistic 
problem,  and  be  impelled  to  do  its  part  in  the 
solution  with  the  spirit  of  Christ. 

Well  may  we  question  the  ability  of  the  human 
mind  fully  to  comprehend  the  socialistic  problem. 
The  longer  one  studies  the  subject,  the  deeper  and 
broader  it  becomes,  until  it  seems  to  be  infinite. 
No  wonder  that  students,  overawed  by  its  magni- 
tude, either  pronounce  the  solution  impossible,  or 
else  defer  it  to  the  indefinite  future.  "  Even  if  the 
solution  could  be  thought  out,  it  could  not  be  real- 
ized in  society,"  says  one  of  the  students. 

It  is  useless  to  argue  with  those  who  flippantly 
declare  that  there  is  no  social  question,  or  who 
think  that  it  will  solve  itself.  Those  who  are 
alive  must  do  the  work  of  the  living  ;  they  have 
no  time  to  bury  the  dead.  Such  as  think  that 
the  church  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter  are 
as  much  mistaken  as  those  who  declare  that  the 
church  can  do  all  that  is  required.  Students  of 
socialism  know  but  too  well  that  all  the  conserva- 
tive and  regenerative  forces  of  society  must  coop- 
erate, if  the  dangers  in  the  movement  are  to  be 
averted,  and  if  what  is  just  in  its  demands  is  to  be 
met. 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  275 

It  is  not  socialism  as  a  doctrinal  system,  an  econ- 
omic problem,  or  a  political  theory,  which  espec- 
ially concerns  our  inquiry.  We  consider  the 
movement  so  far  as  it  affects  the  church  and 
makes  demands  on  Christians.  For  an  adequate 
discussion  from  our  point  of  view  volumes  would 
be  required.  Here  only  a  general  survey  and 
summary  treatment  is  possible. 

Sociology  is  a  theory  of  society,  giving  the  prin- 
ciples involved  in  its  organization,  the  history  of 
its  origin  and  development,  and  the  factors  which 
constitute  its  life,  form  its  institutions,  and  propel 
its  movements.  Sociology  is  therefore  philosoph- 
ical and  historical,  discussing  the  doctrines  and 
essential  conditions  of  society,  and  involving  all 
the  forces  of  the  social  organism.  While  sociolog}^ 
is  an  interpretation  of  society,  socialism  is  a  prac- 
tical movement  aiming  at  the  transformation  of 
society.  While  sociology  shows  what  society  is 
and  how  it  grew,  socialism  aims  to  realize  its  social- 
istic theory  of  what  society  ought  to  be.  Sociology 
is  inductive  and  speculative ;  socialism  is  ethical 
and  practical.  Sociology  is  a  theoretical  contem- 
plation of  society  as  a  totality  ;  but  the  actual 
socialism  of  the  day  is  the  movement  of  a  class, 
with  special  interests  and  special  aims,  and  with 
tendencies  affecting  the  entire  social  structure. 

In  its  deepest  and  broadest  sense  the  practical  socialism 
of  the  day  is  a  united  effort  on  the  part  of  the  laboring 
classes  or  the  masses  to  rise  into  better  condition.     The 


276  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

better  condition  may  be  purely  imaginary  or  a 
dangerous  delusion,  and  the  means  used  for  its 
attainment  may  defeat  their  aim  ;  nevertheless 
this  effort  gives  the  heart  and  the  trend  of  the 
movement.  There  are  different  kinds  of  socialism^ 
from  the  peaceable  and  legal  to  the  anarchical  and 
nihilistic,  from  the  Christian  to  the  materialistic 
and  atheistic.  Local,  national,  and  industrial 
peculiarities  also  prevail,  giving  the  movement 
elements  that  are  contradictory,  and  a  variety  that 
is  endless  and  confusing.  But  they  are  one  in  the 
aim  to  improve  the  condition  of  what  are  called 
the  lower  classes.  They  differ,  however,  respect- 
ing the  nature  of  the  improvement  and  how  it  is 
to  be  accomplished.  There  are  small  parties  and 
side-issues  in  socialism  which  our  purpose  does  not 
lead  us  to  consider ;  we  deal  with  the  general 
features  of  the  great  movement  among  the  masses 
themselves,  known  preeminently  as  the  socialism 
of  the  day. 

Whatever  the  character  of  socialists  may  be,  the 
movement  itself  is  not  necessarily  atheistic  or  an- 
archical. In  Germany,  where  the  socialists  are 
largely  atheistic,  it  is  declared  by  the  social  demo- 
crats that,  religion  is  a  private  matter  and  must  be 
left  to  the  individual  conscience  ;  and  there  it  is 
the  avowed  principle  of  socialism  that  its  aims  are 
to  be  gained  by  peaceable  and  legislative  means, 
not  by  anarchy.  At  the  same  time  it  is  well 
know  that  the  anarchical  elements  are  very 
strong. 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  277 

Nor  must  the  movement  be  regarded  as  affect- 
ing laborers  only,  or  as  intent  solely  on  an  increase 
of  wages.     Socialism  is  rather  to  be  regarded  as  a 
symptom  of  the  age  itself,  a  psychological  phenom- 
enon of  the  times,  and  as  in  some  degree  affecting 
all   the   tendencies  of   the   age.      The  very  term 
"' laborer"  as  used  with  respect  to  the  movement 
is   misleading.       The   capitalist,   the   professional 
man,  and  the  student  may  labor  more  than  the 
men  ordinarily  called  laborers.      There  is  a  ten- 
dency on  the  part  of  workingmen  to  underestimate 
the  labor  actually  involved  in  intellectual  efforts. 
The  supervisor  of  laborers  may  do  more  real  work 
than  the  laborers  themselves.     The  capitalist  and 
laborer  do  not  necessarily  form  a  contrast  so  far 
as  the  element  of  work  is  concerned.     Nor  is  there 
an  impassable  gulf  between  them.      Not  only  do 
laborers  often  become  capitalists,  but   from   the 
favored  circles  of  society  persons  are  continually 
passing  to  the  least  favored,  through  misfortune, 
drunkenness,  vice,  crime,  lavishness,  mismanage- 
ment, or  indolence. 

That  socialism  is  only  a  question  of  wages  is  re- 
sented by  the  more  intelligent  in  the  movement. 
Money  is  a  most  important  factor  and  a  condition 
for  rising ;  but  money  is  valued  because  it  buys 
food,  clothing,  a  comfortable  home,  and  secures 
the  means  of  culture.  In  the  mighty  impulse  to 
rise,  many  of  the  laborers,  particularly  the  young 
men,  are  availing  themselves  of  the  best  means  to 


278  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

secure  an  education,  and  frequently  more  solid  and 
more  valuable  literature  forms  their  mental  food 
than  usually  prevails  in  other  ranks. 

We  must  therefore  regard  the  problem  as  in  the 
widest  sense  a  social  one.  While  particular  factors 
may  be  emphasized,  all  the  interests  of  the  entire 
structure  of  society  are  involved.  If  there  is  class- 
prejudice,  class-hatred,  and  a  one-sided  emphasis 
on  class-interests,  it  must  somehow  originate  from 
a  false  social  theory  or  practice,  perhaps  from 
both.  The  usual  discussion  of  the  subject  from 
the  point  of  class-selfishness  and  class-bitterness 
destroys  all  hope  of  a  fair  understanding  and  har- 
monious adjustment. 

When  now  we  inquire  into  the  cause  of  the 
movement,  we  are  confronted  by  a  host  of  forces 
which  have  contributed  their  share  to  produce  the 
present  great  uprising  of  the  masses.  It  is  evident 
that  the  conditions  which  existed  heretofore  in  an 
equal  degree  as  at  present,  or  in  a  still  more  ex- 
aggerated form,  without  producing  socialism  can- 
not be  the  causative  factors  we  seek.  Those  who 
look  for  the  reason  of  the  movement  in  the  mere 
fact  that  the  condition  of  the  laborers  is  lamenta- 
ble, overlook  the  fact  that  formerly  this  condition 
was  in  many  respects  worse,  and  yet  socialism  was 
unknown.  Never  was  more  done  for  laborers  than 
at  present,  never  was  their  position  in  general 
more  favorable,  and  yet  never  before  have  there 
been  such  socialistic  agitations.     The  introduction 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  279 

of  machinery ;  the  remarkable  growth  of  cities 
and  the  massing  of  laborers  ;  the  increase  of  cap- 
ital, the  growth  of  monopolies,  and  the  astounding 
concentration  of  wealth,  have  all  had  an  important 
part  in  the  creation  of  modern  socialism.  And  yet 
all  these  factors  may  exist,  and  actually  do  exist,, 
where  socialism  has  no  power.  The  key  to  the 
movement  is  found  in  modern  progress,  particu- 
larly with  respect  to  the  education,  the  freedom, 
and  the  privileges  of  the  masses.  The  American 
and  French  revolutions  are  leading  factors  in  this 
process  of  evolution. 

We  must  look  to  the  awakening  of  the  masses  as 
the  chief  element  in  the  explanation  of  the  move- 
ment. The  laboring  men  have  become  conscious 
of  themselves,  have  been  made  aware  of  their 
actual  condition,  have  been  aroused  to  a  realiza- 
tion of  their  rights,  their  power,  and  their  possi- 
bilities. This  is  the  reason  why  their  burdens  were 
never  so  heavy,  though  in  reality  they  may  be 
lighter  than  ever.  The  great  change  in  the 
burden-bearers  has  made  their  burdens  seem  in- 
tolerable. 

Not  to  the  most  degraded  and  the  brutalized 
laborers  do  we  look  for  the  socialistic  leaders  ;  but 
to  the  most  favorably  situated,  to  the  best  edu- 
cated and  the  most  ambitious  ones.  Not  in  heathen 
but  in  Christian  lands  do  we  find  socialism  ;  and 
there  chiefly  in  those  countries  which  are  the  most 
advanced.    This  is  surely  not  accidental.    Lavelaye 


ru^  ^. 


280  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

even  says,  "  As  the  oak  springs  from  the  acorn,  so 
may  socialism  be  traced  to  Christianity.  In  every 
Christian  there  is  a  germ  of  socialism,  and  every 
socialist  is  unwittingly  a  Christian."  There  is  cer- 
tainly much  truth  in  the  statement.  In  the  aspi- 
ration of  the  masses  to  attain  a  better  condition, 
there  is  an  element  of  grandeur  which  may  be 
traced  directly  to  Christianity ;  and  it  is  this 
grandeur  which  makes  it  one  of  the  most  signifi- 
cant movements  of  the  ages.  Christianity  has 
preached  the  dignity  of  man  and  the  rights  of  the 
personality,  until  even  the  masses  have  caught  the 
meaning  of  the  preaching,  and  have  taken  seriously 
the  teaching  that  the  person  is  above  price.  The 
doctrine  was  proclaimed  that  all  are  equal  before 
God,  with  whom  is  no  distinction  of  persons,  all 
being  alike  his  children.  And  when  the  lesson 
had  once  been  learned,  men  could  not  understand 
why,  if  before  God  all  are  equal,  the  distinctions 
on  earth  should  be  so  great.  As  a  socialist  said, 
"  If  we  are  made  in  God's  image,  we  ought  to  live 
in  a  manner  worthy  of  that  image."  The  earthly 
distinctions  were  seen  to  be  mainly  artificial ;  and 
in  spite  of  these  distinctions,  the  rights  of  man 
were  made  the  watchword  of  the  most  advanced 
nations.  With  the  emphasis  on  the  personality, 
and  with  the  doctrine  of  the  rights  of  men  as  men, 
socialism  became  inevitable.  The  difference  be- 
tween theory  and  practice  was  too  glaring  to  escape 
notice.     With  such  doctrines  as  the  inspiration  of 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  281 

their  hearts,  the  people  could  not  understand  why 
some  should  dwell  in  idleness,  revel  in  luxury  and 
superfluity,  occupy  favored  positions  and  receive 
the  highest  honors,  while  others  were  slaves  of 
toil,  lived  in  abject  poverty  and  hopeless  wretch- 
edness, and  were  treated  as  if  cursed  by  a  divine 
decree.  With  their  consciousness  once  aroused 
every  thing  appeared  in  a  different  light.  Those 
most  fully  awake  naturally  aspired  to  what  they 
had  continually  heard  praised  as  the  most  desira- 
ble of  objects.  Conscious  of  themselves  and  of 
the  great  advantages  of  the  age,  aspiring,  ambi- 
tious, they  saw  themselves  excluded  from  what  are 
proclaimed  the  greatest  prerogatives  of  the  times. 
Poorly  clad,  inadequately  fed,  badly  housed,  they 
lacked  the  comforts  they  had  learned  to  regard  as 
conditions  of  humanity.  The  despair  they  felt  re- 
specting themselves  they  felt  also  as  the  doom  of 
their  children.  In  spite  of  the  exalted  doctrine  of 
the  rights  of  the  personality,  the  intellect  and  the 
culture  of  the  day  were  not  for  them.  Indeed,  it 
seemed  as  if  the  progress  of  civilization  only  in- 
creased their  misery  and  deepened  their  despair. 

Numerous  factors  served  to  promote  this  awak- 
ening of  consciousness.  Among  these  are  of 
especial  power  political  rights  ;  the  ballot,  which 
puts  the  humblest  on  the  level  of  the  highest ;  the 
free  discussion  of  national  affairs,  in  which  all 
participated  ;  and  the  feeling  that  the  power  and 
the  interests  of  the  nation  are  alike  the  concern 


283  THE  AGE  AND   THE  CHURCH. 

of  every  citizen.  As  an  influence  whose  power 
cannot  be  estimated  we  must  name  the  press,  the 
great  educator  of  the  people.  Particular  interests 
had  their  organs,  grievances  were  freely  discussed 
and  remedies  proposed.  Science  too  was  popu- 
larized, so  that  the  arcanum  of  the  schools  came 
within  reach  of  the  masses.  Under  all  these  in- 
fluences the  laborers  themselves  became  different. 
New  possibilities  of  privilege,  position,  and  culture 
enchanted  them  ;  and  when  they  banded  together 
to  consider  their  interests,  it  was  with  a  conscious- 
ness of  their  power,  and  with  the  hope  that  their 
efforts  would  be  crowned  with  success.  The  mass- 
ing of  laborers  in  the  centres  of  population,  the 
ease  of  combination,  and  the  means  of  rapid  com- 
munication, were  all  favorable  to  the  development 
of  socialism. 

This  awakening  and  intensifying  of  conscious- 
ness is  only  in  the  first  stages  ;  we  must  expect 
the  process  to  continue  and  to  grow.  But  already 
much  that  was  in  the  dark  has  now  been  placed 
under  the  electric  light.  Thus  it  has  become  evi- 
dent that  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves  was  but 
a  small  part  of  the  emancipation  of  humanity ;  a 
much  greater  work  remains  to  be  done.  Where 
titles,  rank,  privileges  were  abolished,  it  was  done 
only  nominally  and  legally ;  all  that  was  real  in 
their  advantages  remains.  The  names  have  dis- 
appeared ;  but  the  wealth,  the  actual  power,  the 
real  distinctions,  and  the  personal  advantages  still 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  383 

exist,  and  in  many  instances  they  have  been  aug- 
mented. Where  the  legal  aristocracy  is  abolished, 
an  actual  social  aristocracy  lives,  whose  real  privi- 
leges have  never  been  equalled  by  the  privileged 
classes  of  the  old  world.  What  wonder  that  those 
who  realize  the  situation  feel  that  the  emancipa- 
tion which  has  been  only  nominal  must  be  fol- 
lowed by  an  emancipation  that  is  real ! 

The  conviction  also  prevails  that  all  persons 
should  have  an  equal  opportunity  to  attain  culture 
to  secure  a  livelihood,  and  to  enjoy  the  comforts 
of  life.  With  equal  chances  in  the  race  of  life,  the 
victory  ought  to  be  to  character,  to  energy,  and  to 
wisdom.  But  the  reality  shows  that  some  have  all 
the  advantages  and  the  rest  none.  Some  are  born 
to  be  lords,  others  are  condemned  to  slavery. 

Put  now  the  awakened  consciousness  of  the 
laborer  into  the  present  actuality,  and  socialism 
ceases  to  be  a  mystery.  Capital  rules ;  even  the 
rich  are  startled  by  the  concentration  of  wealth  in 
the  hands  of  a  few.  What  a  dangerous  power 
when  controlled  by  a  diabolical,  selfish  spirit!  In 
some  countries  the  land  is  owned  by  a  small 
minority,  and  the  tenant  who  can  hardly  live  from 
his  toil  has  no  hope  of  ever  getting  possession  or 
of  bettering  his  condition.  Whatever  fault  may 
attach  to  the  laborers,  that  does  not  by  any  means 
account  for  all  their  suffering.  The  most  honest 
and  most  industrious  are  often  doomed  to  abject 
misery.     In  Nimes,  France,  the  most  careful  sta- 


284  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

tistics  proved  that  of  the  large  number  of  families 
visited  by  Protestant  philanthropists  only  one- 
fifth  were  in  misery  through  the  fault  of  the  head 
of  the  family.  While  writing  this,  the  weavers  in 
Silesia  are  in  danger  of  starvation.  The  wages  at 
Glatz  are  as  follows :  30  per  cent  of  the  laborers 
receive  18  cents  a  day  ;  50  per  cent  receive  13  and 
20  per  cent  receive  only  6.  And  these  men  have 
families  to  support!  Whoever  has  labored  among 
the  poor  knows  that  the  suffering  among  the  in- 
nocent is  often  terrible. 

All  this  while  others  have  more  than  they  can 
use.  Often  haughtiness  prevails  in  families  of 
wealth,  a  splendor  reigns  that  reminds  of  oriental 
luxury,  and  excessive  means  are  made  the  min- 
isters of  lust  and  passion.  Even  the  stables  of 
horses  and  the  kennels  of  dogs  have  a  comfort 
compared  with  which  the  laborers  are  hovelled  in 
wretchedness.  The  man  is  literally  placed  below 
the  brute.  Prisoners  are  often  much  better  pro- 
vided for  than  honest  workmen.  If  the  employer's 
laborer  dies,  it  is  no  loss,  for  he  can  easily  be  re- 
placed ;  but  if  a  mule  dies,  it  is  a  serious  loss, 
because  that  represents  a  certain  money  value. 
How  now  appreciate  the  situation  ?  Put  yourself 
in  place  of  the  laborer  with  his  suffering  and 
despairing  family!  Or  if  there  is  no  actual  suffer- 
ing, learn  his  appreciation  of  the  greatest  advan- 
tages of  the  age,  and  feel  with  him  what  it  means 
to  have  himself  and  familv  excluded  from  them. 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  285 

More   severe   than   the   actual   suffering  is  the 
consciousness  of  degradation  to  which  the  laborer 
is  often  subject.     He  is  treated  as  a  thing,  worth 
as  much  as  the  machine  that  turns  out  an  equal 
amount  of  work.     The  man  himself  is  too  often 
estimated  solely  according  to  his  brute  force.    The 
capitalist,  if  he  stoops  to  recognize  him  at  all,  does 
it  only  so  far  as  the  laborer  can  compete  with  a 
mule  or  an   engine.     All   else   pertaining  to   the 
man  and  his  family  is  absolutely  ignored.     He  is 
treated   as   a  tool  and  knows  that  as  such  he  is 
estimated.     There    are  exceptions;    much  of  the 
wealth  is  in  the  hands  of  the  noblest  of  men  ;  but 
the  treatment  of  laborers  as  mere  things  is  com- 
mon in  all  lands,  is  intolerable,  and  should  arouse 
to  intensity  the   indignation  of  all  who  have  any 
humanity  left. 

In  the  tendency  from  aesthetics  to  ethics,  an 
emphasis  on  the  claims  of  humanity  is  taking  the 
place  of  absorption  in  the  contemplation  of  art. 
In  this  tendency  socialism  is  a  dominant  factor. 
It  makes  human  concerns  of  supreme  importance. 
Socialism  has  already  given  startling  revelations 
of  social  conditions,  and  yet  its  work  has  only  be- 
gun. Slowly  but  surely  modifications  are  in  prog- 
ress, which  will  affect  our  terminology  as  well  as 
our  social  status.  Already  the  terms  "  gentleman  " 
and  "lady"  are  losing  their  old  meaning.  They 
will  either  designate  a  different  class  of  persons 
than  formerly,  or  else  they  will  have  a  contempt- 


286  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

uous  instead  of  an  honored  sense.  These  terms 
have  designated  persons  not  obliged  to  work  for  a 
living,  and  thus  have  served  to  dignify  idleness 
and  to  cast  reproach  on  labor.  This  will  be  im- 
possible with  the  newly  awakened  consciousness 
of  society. 

Among  the  causes  which  embitter  socialists,  one 
of  the  most  powerful  is  the  existence  of  a  large 
number  of  social  drones.  Without  any  merit  or 
effort  of  their  own,  they  have  the  highest  advan- 
tages afforded  by  society.  These  they  abuse  for 
low  personal  ends,  and  often  for  the  oppression  of 
those  subordinate  to  them.  They  do  not  work, 
and  yet  they  live  on  the  fat  of  the  land  ;  they  do 
not  even  concern  themselves  for  those  on  whom 
they  live,  not  to  say  anything  of  the  welfare  of 
society  at  large.  The  usual  voluptuousness  and 
vices  of  indolence  control  them.  Although  but 
the  boils  and  blisters  of  humanity,  they  claim  to 
be  on  the  social  summit  from  which  they  can  look 
down  upon  all  others.  Not  only  are  they  an  intol- 
erable nuisance,  but  their  influence  in  inflaming 
honest  workmen  with  intense  bitterness  is  of  the 
most  pernicious  and  most  dangerous  character. 
Not  only  can  no  one  discover  of  what  use  they  are 
to  society,  but  it  is  well  known  that  often  they  are 
a  moral  pest  to  a  community.  Their  very  promi- 
nence makes  their  example  the  more  contagious. 
They  train  their  families  to  their  own  idleness, 
worthlessness,  and  vice. 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  387 

No  matter  how  much  indolence  or  vice  may  be 
gilded,  it  is  not  possible  to  make  it  respectable. 
When  it  leads  the  heir  of  one  of  Europe's  haugh- 
tiest thrones  to  commit  suicide,  the  world  is  ap- 
palled at  the  awful  corruption  in  what  are  termed 
the  highest  circles  ;  but  it  says  that  such  an  end 
was  but  natural.  And  were  it  possible  for  a  prince 
to  forget  the  earnestness  of  the  present  situation 
and  of  his  responsibility,  and  to  devote  himself  to 
social  frivolity  and  degrading  sport  and  despicable 
gambling,  he  would  have  to  be  transformed  as 
much  as  Henry  V.,  before  any  but  the  Falstaffs 
among  his   companions   could   respect   him    as  a 

monarch. 

Woman  is  a  delicate  subject  to  be  discussed  in 
this  connection  ;  but  we  cannot  withhold  the  truth. 
More  frequently  than  her  brother  is  she  trained  to 
indolence  in  families  of  wealth.    She  is  then  treated 
as  if  she  had  no  mission  were  she  to  fail  of  mar- 
riage ;  and  so  she  is  brought  up  in  idleness  and  for 
lazhiess.     All  this  is  now  publicly  ventilated  and 
heartlessly  commented  on.      These  toys  are  so  de- 
veloped that  they  may  become  the  most  convenient 
playthings.     It  is  freely  stated  that  many  of  them 
take  their  fashions  from  the  "abandoned"  among 
their  sisters  ;   and  that  their  influence  in  society  is 
of   a   corresponding   character.      The  parlor,  the 
theatre,   the  ball-room,  the  street,  the  store,  are 
their  spheres.      A  smattering  of  French,  a  slight 
accomplishment  in  music,  foreign  travel  in  hope  of 


288  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

absorbing  some  scenic  and  artistic  effects,  the  sum- 
mer at  fashionable  watering  places  to  find  relief 
from  the  tasks  that  have  not  been  performed — these 
glorify  their  career.  It  would  be  impossible  not  to 
be  satirical,  were  it  not  that  these  creatures  are 
themselves  the  most  bitter  satire  on  womankind. 
The  much  naturally  expected  from  them,  and  actu- 
ally done  by  the  noble  ones  among  their  sisters, 
deepens  the  pity  with  which  these  ladies  are  regard- 
ed by  worthy  toilers.  Nor  is  pity  the  limit  of  the 
feeling  which  they  inspire.  Did  they  but  know 
what  earnest  people  think  and  publicly  proclaim 
respecting  them,  they  would  seek  to  hide  the  shame 
they  now  so  impudently  parade. 

These  are  conditions  at  which  we  can  only  hint. 
The  reality  is  immeasurably  worse  than  pen  can 
describe.  The  Christian  looks  with  greatest  esteem 
on  the  noble  mission  of  a  daughter,  sister,  wife  and 
mother  ;  and  even  if  woman's  sphere  is  limited  to 
the  home,  it  is  second  to  none  in  importance.  If 
this  mission  in  the  home  is  not  accomplished,  she 
cannot  be  expected  to  fulfill  any  other.  Her  sphere, 
however,  reaches  beyond  the  home.  Look  but  at 
the  theatres  and  operas  and  concerts,  and  see 
whether  the  most  public  places  are  not  occupied 
by  women.  Her  public  influence  is  so  great  that 
its  purity  and  exaltation  are  among  the  chief  con- 
cerns of  the  present.  Not  without  reason  is  this 
called  the  era  of  woman.  She  has  been  a  powerful 
factor   in   creating   socialism,  and  she  can  be  an 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM,  289 

equally  powerful  factor  in  meeting  its   demands. 

Intelligent  socialists  are  well  aware  that  the 
blame  for  the  existing  social  condition  does  not 
belong  wholly  or  chiefly  to  individuals.  It  is  due 
rather  to  society  as  such.  This  becomes  evident 
when  we  study  the  social  structure.  In  a  healthy 
state  society  is  an  organism  whose  constituent 
parts  are  members.  All  the  factors  exist  for  each 
other,  and  their  harmonious  cooperation  promotes 
the  welfare  of  each  member  and  of  the  entire 
body.  No  part  can  do  without  the  other,  much 
less  be  complete  without  it.  Vvhat  pertains  to  one 
pertains  to  all.  ''  And  whether  one  member  suffer, 
all  the  members  suffer  with  it  ;  or  one  member  be 
honored,  all  the  members  rejoice  with  it."  Such 
an  organism  means  unity,  sympathy,  cooperation. 

Now  it  is  ever}^  where  painfully  apparent  that 
this  scriptural  and  rational  view  of  society  nowhere 
exists.  Society  is  not  an  organism,  not  even  a  well 
constructed  mechanism.  Instead  of  members,  we 
have  disjointed  parts,  fragments  of  ruins  touching 
each  other,  but  not  even  cem.ented  together.  In- 
stead of  unit}^  there  is  disunion,  instead  of  sympa- 
thy there  is  hatred,  and  instead  of  cooperation  there 
is  war.  We  do  not  usually  speak  of  social  mem- 
bers, but  of  social  cliques,  classes,  and  parties, 
each  forming  a  separation  by  itself,  intent  on  fur- 
thering only  its  own  interests,  ignoring  or  actually 
antagonizing  other  classes,  and  thus  producing 
enmity  and  distraction.  Selfishness,  self-interes^, 
19 


290  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

self-seeking  are  the  rule ;  others  are  considered 
only  so  far  as  self  demands  such  consideration. 
Hence  society  is  split  into  factions.  Political  par- 
ties identify  their  aims  with  the  welfare  of  the 
state,  and  then,  with  the  basest  egotism,  substitute 
for  patriotism  the  narrowest  partisanship.  Were 
a  political  party  inadvertently  to  become  generous 
to  another  party,  no  one  would  believe  in  the  gen- 
erosity. It  is  taken  for  granted  that  selfishness  or 
even  meanness,  with  a  show  of  disinterestedness, 
is  the  rule.  When  one  class  forms  an  alliance  to 
protect  its  interests,  without  the  slightest  regard 
to  the  interests  of  others,  then  other  classes  are 
also  driven  together  to  promote  iheir  peculiar  in- 
terests. Thus  we  find  capitalists,  laborers,  me- 
chanics, farmers,  merchants,  and  other  classes, 
banded  together  for  class  purposes.  Only  what 
pertains  to  self  is  considered,  and  in  the  course  of 
time  nothing  else  can  be  seen.  Prejudice  is  fos- 
tered, so  that  an  understanding  with  others  is  out 
of  the  question.  Those  who  are  in  the  way  of  self- 
seeking  are  viewed  as  enemies,  and  such  must  be 
overcome  or  destroyed.  War  is  consequentl}-  the 
natural  state  of  this  condition.  Where  this  class- 
antagonism  increases,  it  must  eventually  lead  to  the 
dissolution  or  destruction  of  the  social  structure. 
Such  a  state  becomes  peculiarly  dangerous  when 
the  usual  bonds  which  hold  different  parties  to- 
gether are  loosened  or  wholly  severed.  That  is 
the  case  now.     In  view  of  personal  and  class  inter- 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM,  291 

ests  common  traditions  are  losing-  their  hold  on 
nations  ;  political  and  economic  principles  conflict ; 
antagonistic  sociological  theories  prevail ;  the  foun- 
dation, the  nature,  and  the  authority  of  ethics  are 
in  dispute  ;  and  over  vast  masses  religion  has  lost 
its  force.  So  absorbing,  so  intense,  and  so  exclu- 
sive have  personal  or  party  or  class  concerns  be- 
come, that  the  common  human  and  even  national 
and  social  considerations  are  lost  sight  of. 

When  now  socialism  organizes  a  particular  class 
to  further  its  own  interests,  and  to  antagonize  the 
interests  supposed  to  be  in  conflict  therewith,  it  is 
simply  doing  what  all  others  are  doing.  Its  plea 
is  self-defence  ;  and  from  the  defensive  it  passes 
to  the  offensive.  That  it  opposes  selfishness  by 
selfishness  is  glaringly  apparent.  But  it  does  not 
merely  put  itself  on  the  common  level  of  other 
classes,  it  adopts  a  more  radical  aim.  The  socialist 
thinks  that  he  recognizes  the  evils  of  society  so  far 
as  labor  is  concerned  ;  and  he  views  these  evils  as  a 
necessary  product  of  the  present  constitution  of 
society.  This  brings  us  to  the  heart  of  socialism. 
Were  the  blame  with  individuals,  then  there  would 
be  hope  that  they  might  be  removed  or  their  influ- 
ence overcome.  But  as  the  blame  rests  on  society 
itself,  which  communicates  its  spirit  to  the  domi- 
nant factors  and  makes  them  an  expression  of 
itself,  there  is  but  one  hope,  and  that  is  in  the 
change  of  society.  Reformation  or  revolution  is 
therefore  the  cry  ;    and  as  there  is  scarcely  any 


292  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

hope  of  reformation,  the  emphasis  is  placed  on 
revolution.  Factories,  workshops,  organizations, 
meetings,  books,  papers,  cooperation,  strikCvS,  all 
possible  means  are  used  to  secure  the  ends  of  labor- 
ers now,  or  to  prepare  to  secure  them  in  the  future. 
In  Germany  it  is  claimed  that  twenty  per  cent,  of 
the  population  are  socialists,  or  about  nine  millions 
of  the  inhabitants.  In  other  lands  they  are  less 
organized,  but  also  strong  and  growing.  Many 
socialists  freely  admit  that  anarchy  and  nihilism 
are  their  hope  and  aim.  Just  how  to  reconstruct 
society  when  it  has  been  destroyed  seems  at  the 
present  stage  of  agitation  of  little  concern  to  them. 
First  destruction  ;  the  construction  will  take  care 
of  itself.  Often  a  demoniac  element,  a  fiendish 
ferocity  is  prevalent,  utterly  regardless  of  the 
question  whether  the  culture  of  centuries,  the  civ- 
ilization of  nations,  and  the  religion  of  Christ  be 
buried  under  the  ruins.  These  things,  they  de- 
clare, have  no  significance  for  them  ;  not  onl}^  do 
they  claim  to  have  no  share  in  their  blessing,  but 
they  often  view  them  as  the  means  of  their  curse. 
The  success  of  our  socialists  would  no  doubt 
prove  the  direst  calamity  to  the  laborers  them- 
selves. Even  if  they  change  their  theory  of  the 
state  as  the  sole  capitalist,  land-owner,  and  em- 
ployer, making  all  labor  in  point  of  value  essen- 
tially alike,  issuing  certificates  for  work,  and 
putting  all  workers  on  a  communistic  level ;  still 
we  cannot  believe  that  the  spirit  and  ability  and 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  293 

aims  of  socialists  can  improve  the  constitution  of 
society  so  as  to  meet  the  just  demands  of  the  labor- 
ers.    But  if  not  successful,  socialism  may  never- 
theless prove  the  worst  of  social  fiends.     Thus  far 
the  laborers  have  been  trained  under  Christian  in- 
fluence ;  now  they  are  in  many  places  trained  in 
niaterialism  and   atheism.     The   young  men   are 
worse  than  the  older  socialists,  and  the  boys  are 
worse  than  the  young  men.     There  is  a  remarka- 
ble  growth  in  the  brutal  elements.     The  better 
dressed  people  are  hated,  the  palace  of  the  rich 
excites  bitterness.     The  masses  have  the  majority 
and    feel   their   power;  and   when   the   restraints 
which  now  hold  them  in  check  are  gone,  what  will 
the  result  be  ?     And  that  restraint  is  rapidly  van- 
ishing, and  often  the  leaders  find  it  all  but  impos- 
sible to  keep  their  followers  from  violence.     With 
dynamite  and  petroleum  and  all  the  other  means 
of  destruction  a  few  desperate  ones  may  work  in- 
calculable devastation.     Men  alive  to  the  situation 
realize  that   society   sleeps   on   a   volcano,   whose 
fearful  monitions  are  distinctly  heard  ;  and  even  if 
socialism  fails,  much  of  society  may  be  destroyed. 
These  are  the  facts  with  which  the  astute  states- 
men and  most  pow^erful  governments  reckon.     It 
is  not  strange  that  a  kind  of  panic  seizes  society, 
when  a  student  of  socialism  declares  that  states- 
men and  governments  and  CathoHcism  and  Protes- 
tantism are  unable  to  check  the  triumphant  march 
of  socialism ;  that  but  one  force  is  able  to  do  it, 


294  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

and  that  is  the  German  army.  But  in  this  very 
army  the  socialists  themselves  are  trained  for  the 
conflict  which  many  declare  inevitable. 

We  cannot  stop  to  consider  the  right  and  wrong 
in  the  socialistic  movements.  No  one  with  a 
Christian  heart  can  deny  the  justice  of  the  claim 
that  the  personality  is  supreme  ;  that  the  soul  and 
the  character  determine  man's  dignity,  not  the 
clothes,  not  the  wealth,  not  the  position ;  that 
human  beings,  no  matter  what  their  financial 
status,  ought  to  receive  human  treatment,  and 
should  never  be  degraded  to  beasts  of  burden  and 
to  machines  of  toil ;  that  the  aspiration  of  the 
poorest  to  attain  a  comfortable  livelihood  and  to 
secure  the  advantages  of  education  and  culture  are 
just.  These  efforts  to  rise  into  better  condition 
I  deserve  the  greatest  encouragement  and  most 
efficient  help.  There  are  elements  in  socialism 
which  make  it  one  of  the  most  righteous  causes 
ever  affecting  humanity,  which  will  draw  to  its 
consideration  the  best  thought  and  the  most 
Christian  spirit,  and  which  will  make  it  the  absorb- 
ing problem  of  the  future. 

But  the  practical  socialism  of  the  day  in  n?iany 
respects  appalls  one,  on  account  of  its  diabolical 
elements.  It  teems  with  materialism,  atheism,  and 
selfishness  ;  it  emphasizes  earthly  gratification  as 
life's  aim,  ignores  the  historic  conditions  of  social 
structures,  and  proclaims  a  class-hatred  animated 
by  the  spirit  of  a  demon ;  it  fosters  lust,  passion 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  295 

and  brutality,  proving  that  in  many  cases  the 
noble  aspirations  for  culture  are  a  mere  pretext ; 
the  character  is  ignored,  the  fact  is  overlooked  that 
an  increase  of  money  would  frequently  serve  only 
to  feed  intemperance,  debauchery,  and  crime ;  on 
the  condition  of  things  and  on  other  persons  blame 
is  thrown  which  really  attaches  to  self,  and  there- 
fore the  help  which  can  only  come  from  self-effort 
and  inner  improvement  is  expected  from  the 
environment ;  and  socialism  is  the  death  of  individ- 
uality, making  the  community  or  society  a  mael- 
strom swallowing  up  personality  and  peculiarity, 
so  that  the  worst  form  of  tyranny  prevails.  These 
revolting  elements  are  in  the  movement,  and  they 
need  but  be  cultivated  to  produce  a  spirit  which 
delights  in  destruction  for  the  sake  of  destruction. 
But  it  is  as  wrong  to  lose  sight  of  the  noble  ele- 
ments because  there  are  base  ones,  as  to  concen- 
trate attention  upon  the  noble  ones  and  forget  the 
other  side.  Discrimination  is  needed,  otherwise 
there  is  no  hope  of  successful  social  work.  Many 
laborers,  now  repelled  by  the  socialistic  spirit,  may 
join  the  movement,  if  their  just  claims  are  ignored 
by  society.  Then  it  must  also  be  considered  that 
among  socialists  there  are  many  whose  aspirations 
are  worthy  of  encouragement ;  they  are  accessible 
to  reason,  to  heart,  and  to  sympathetic  help.  And 
even  where  the  worst  elements  prevail,  a  new  spirit 
may  be  introduced.  Socialism  is  tentative,  not  an 
ultimate  dogma  ;  this   fact  inspires   strong  hopes 


296  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

that  the  character  of  socialists  and  the  dangerous 
tendencies  in  the  movement  may  be  changed  by- 
proper  effort. 

These  facts  so  faintly  delineated,  whose  full  im- 
port no  mind  can  fully  conceive,  much  less  any 
pen  describe — these  facts  the  church  must  face. 
The  church  is  in  the  movement,  is  deeply  affected 
by  it,  so  much  so  that  not  a  few  declare  that  its 
very  existence  is  threatened.  Slowly  the  actual 
situation  is  dawning  on  the  church,  and  its  duty  to 
the  masses  has  become  a  burning  question.  Awful 
things  are  heard.  Socialists  declare  that  it  is  too 
late  for  Christians  to  do  anything  now  ;  the  oppor- 
tunit)^  being  lost  forever.  At  a  social  congress  of 
Evangelical  Christians  in  Berlin,  one  of  the  most 
efficient  Christian  workers  in  behalf  of  laborers 
said,  "It  is  too  late."  All  over  the  Continent 
laborers  express  their  surprise  that  the  love,  so 
loudly  professed  by  the  church,  did  not  lead  to 
more  earnest  work  for  suffering  humanity ;  and 
they  affirm  that  every  body  knows  the  church  is 
now  aroused  to  do  something  for  tliC  poor,  not 
because  it  cares  for  the  poor,  but  because  it  wants 
to  save  itself!  Painful  beyond  utterance  is  the 
statement  often  heard,  that  the  Catholic  church 
has  shown  some  heart  for  the  poor,  but  Protestant- 
ism none!  False  of  course  ;  but  how  did  such  a 
view  become  possible,  and  why  is  it  so  common  ? 

What  now  shall  the  church  do  in  view  of  the 
problems  presented  by  socialism  ? 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  297 

The  strong  conservatism  of  the  church  is  often 
peculiarly  needed  in  times  of  agitation.  Its  doc- 
trinal and  historical  elements,  and  its  long-tried 
and  approved  methods,  ma)^  be  the  conditions  of 
efficient  activity  in  revolutionary  periods.  No  one 
recognizing  the  Gospel  as  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  can  wish  to  change  the  spiritual  leaven 
which  Christ  introduced,  or  to  substitute  for  it  any 
earthly  force.  Spirituality  is  rather  to  be  quickened 
and  deepened.  Those,  however,  who  continually 
oppose  innovations  under  the  plea  that  nothing 
but  the  old  Gospel  is  now  needed,  usually  mean 
that  nothing  is  required  but  the  human  methods 
to  which  they  themselves  have  been  accustomed. 
They  forget  that  peculiar  times  need  peculiar 
adaptations,  and  that  the  same  Gospel  may  have 
an  endless  variety  in  meeting  the  needs  of  different 
ages.  But  it  is  true  that  such  adaptations  are 
growths,  the  product  of  the  times  themselves,  and 
called  forth  by  the  situation.  Arbitrary  innova- 
tions, violent  revolutions,  and  novel  experiments 
may  work  evil  only,  unless  they  prove  useful  in 
showing  that  they  are  not  the  divine  method  In 
their  very  zeal  to  meet  emergencies  hasty  persons 
may  go  to  the  extreme,  and  by  their  excesses  may 
destroy  more  than  they  edify. 

A  world  not  only  indifferent  but  actually  hostile 
to  religion  is  to  be  won  by  the  church.  Those 
apparently  not  susceptible  to  spiritual  influences 
are  to  be  made  spiritual.     They  are  not  present  to 


398  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

hear  the  usual  sermon  ;  and  if  they  were  present, 
they  would  be  but  wayside  to  the  spiritual  seed. 
This  alone  shows  how  hopeless  the  theory  of  the 
simple  preaching-  of  the  old  Gospel  in  the  old  way. 
People  must  be  touched  where  they  are,  and 
where  they  are  susceptible.  Not  that  truth  is  to 
be  adapted  to  their  tastes,  for  this  might  require 
that  the  truth  be  degraded  ;  but  it  must  be  adapted 
to  their  needs  in  order  that  they  may  thereby  be 
adapted  to  the  truth.  The  way  to  their  souls  may 
be  through  their  bodies,  their  earthly  circum- 
stances, and  through  their  intellect  or  conscience. 
Here  the  rule  prevails  that  the  church  must  not 
become  earthly  ;  but  without  losing  its  spirituality 
it  is  so  to  adapt  itself  to  men  as  to  draw  them  to 
religion.  Such  persons  as  secularize  the  church 
make  its  means  earthly,  and  degrade  it  to  an 
ordinary  social  institution,  neglect  the  peculiar 
mission  of  the  church,  and  attempt  what  is  already 
done  to  superfluity.  The  church  is  not  established 
for  earthly  pleasure  ;  and  when  a  life  of  pleasure 
and  sport  has  become  a  common  and  destructive 
passion,  it  may  be  a  supreme  duty  to  oppose  vig- 
orously the  muddy  tide  and  to  emphasize  duty. 
What  men  do,  they  cultivate  ;  and  an  undue  atten- 
tion to  harmless  pleasure,  as  it  is  called,  cultivates 
the  passion  for  mere  gratification,  and  drives  out 
all  higher  aims  and  nobler  pursuits.  But  pleasure 
that  springs  from  the  performance  of  duty  and 
that  prepares  for  duty,  and  entertainment  that  is  a 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  299 

necessary  recreation,  are  worthy  of  careful  Chris- 
tian culture.  Even  in  such  cases,  however,  the 
worldly  must  not  supersede  the  spiritual  means 
and  aims. 

The  church  must  approach  the  world  in  order  to 
win  the  worldly  ;  but  the  approach  must  be  learned 
from  Christ  and  his  apostles.  There  are  so  many 
avenues  from  the  world  to  Christ,  so  many  schools 
and  schoolmasters  to  Him,  that  the  earthly  and 
human  means  which  lead  to  Christ  are  legion. 
All  that  is  done  for  the  body  may  receive  spiritual 
significance  and  be  used  for  religious  ends.  This 
of  course  does  not  mean  that  only  such  are  to  be 
helped  as  can  be  brought  into  the  church.  The 
very  heart  of  Christians  will  lead  them  to  help  the 
needy  wherever  found.  But  few  of  these  whom 
Christ  blessed  became  His  followers. 

If  the  laborers  are  to  become  friends  of  the 
church,  the  church  must  prove  itself  their  friend 
in  deed  and  in  truth,  not  merely  in  word.  Chris- 
tian love  must  be  practiced  more  than  it  is 
preached,  or  it  must  be  preached  most  eloquently 
by  works.  The  faith  which  worketh  by  love  is  the 
faith  now  especially  needed.  This  love,  if  genuine, 
gives  the  suffering  and  the  poor  what  is  most 
helpful.  There  may  be  times  when  the  best 
spiritual  work  begins  its  edification  with  the  body. 
A  model  in  this  respect  is  found  in  the  "Inner 
Mission"  in  Germany,  including,  as  we  have  seen, 
all  work  in  Christ's  name  by  voluntary  Christian 


800  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

agencies,  for  the  body  as  well  as  for  the  soul. 
Labor  colonies,  in  which  men  receive  work  and 
are  trained  for  useful  occupations ;  societies  to 
help  released  prisoners  ;  the  calling  of  deaconesses 
in  hospitals  and  in  sick  families ;  the  efforts  to 
save  fallen  women  ;  the  care  for  neglected  chil- 
dren ;  and  all  labor  in  behalf  of  the  suffering, 
come  under  this  head.  It  ought  to  be  done  by  the 
church  itself ;  but  the  state  church  is  too  un- 
wieldly,  too  imperfectly  organized,  and  too 
severely  restrained,  to  undertake  the  task. 

In  this  human  and  humane  work  is  found  much 
of  the  best  hope  of  Christianity.  And  this  hope 
will  increase  in  proportion  as  the  church  can  be 
enlarged  to  the  kingdom  of  God  ;  that  is,  to  that 
comprehensiveness  which  includes  all  that  Christ 
put  into  that  kingdom,  and  which  makes  the  mis- 
sion of  the  church  all  the  work  that  Christ  per- 
formed for  humanity. 

This  opens  a  remarkable  sphere  for  the  church 
as  a  human  and  divine,  a  bodih^  and  a  spiritual,  an 
earthly  and  a  heavenly  institution.  This  unites 
into  an  organism  what  has  been  violently  sepa- 
rated. The  earthly  and  physical  conditions  of  re- 
ligious culture  have  been  too  much  neglected  ; 
now  the  worldly  environment  is  emphasized,  some- 
times at  the  expense  of  the  spiritual  environment. 
The  church  cannot  longer  afford  to  be  indifferent 
to  any  suffering  or  need  which  enlisted  the  sym- 
pathies and  efforts  of  Christ.      Just  because  the 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  301 

church  is  so  spiritual,  it  cannot  afford  to  treat  with 
indifference  any  thing  that  pertains  to  humanity. 

We  live  in  an  era  with  the  most  urgent  demands 
for  all  kinds  of  institutions  to  help  the  needy. 
The  needs  themselves  must  be  studied,  and  then, 
the  best  adaptations  to  them  must  be  sought.  In- 
dustrial, political,  sanitary  concerns  lie  near  the 
heart  of  the  true  church  ;  but  it  cannot  domineer 
in  spheres  where  it  is  not  a  specialist.  Religion 
has  entered  the  great  organism  of  this  world,  and 
this  makes  the  health  of  the  entire  organism  an 
essential  condition  of  its  own  health.  As  religion 
is  to  affect  the  entire  organism,  so  in  turn  it  is 
affected  by  all  pertaining  to  the  organism.  And 
its  work  in  and  upon  the  organism  must  be  nat- 
ural, according  to  psychological  laws,  and  through 
the  human  adaptations  of  the  divine. 

Instead  of  asking  what  can  be  done  by  the 
church  in  this  great  sphere  in  this  kingdom  of  God 
according  to  the  Gospel  idea,  we  are  rather  im- 
pelled to  ask  what  cannot  be  done.  The  existing 
institutions  and  agencies  for  the  relief  of  humanity 
can  be  increased  in  efficiency,  in  numbers,  and  in 
kind.  Only  the  feeblest  germs  of  the  vast  possi- 
bilities in  this  respect  have  appeared.  The  relief 
of  existing  suffering  is  itself  a  task  of  overwhelm- 
ing magnitude.  No  suffering  that  Christianity  can 
relieve  should  be  tolerated  in  the  world.  That  the 
present  misery  is  possible  in  Christian  lands,  and 
especially  in  Christian  cities,  is  amazing.     It  is  one 


302  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

of  the  most  effective  argtiments  against  the  genu- 
ineness of  the  Christian  spirit  in  the  church.  And 
yet  this  relief  of  existing  suffering  is  but  a  fraction 
of  the  great  work  now  requiring  especial  attention. 
So  far  as  possible  the  causes  of  suffering  should 
be  removed.  This  involves  the  problems  of  pov- 
erty and  crime,  all  that  pertains  to  that  awful 
realm  in  which  sin  and  misery  reign. 

Cure  and  prevention — what  a  mission  !  And 
prevention  is  the  most  certain  cure.  While  the 
church  cooperates  with  all  the  helpful  factors  of 
society  in  order  to  meet  the  demands  made  by 
socialism,  its  peculiar  mission  leads  it  to  lay  the 
greatest  stress  on  character.  So  long  as  it  does 
not  succeed  in  making  that  moral  and  spiritual,  its 
chief  aim  is  not  accomplished.  All  is  valuable  in 
proportion  as  it  can  be  used  to  form  a  good  char- 
acter. In  order  that  it  may  accomplish  this  diffi- 
cult task,  it  must  be  a  positive  power,  must  use 
positive  agencies,  and  deposit  positive  leaven. 
Mere  opposition  may  be  strong  enough  to  produce 
death,  but  too  weak  to  create  life.  Mere  attacks 
are  not  regenerative  forces.  Evil  culture  must  be 
overcome  by  stronger  good  culture  ;  false  educa- 
tion, by  a  more  powerful  true  education  ;  earthly 
pleasures  of  a  destructive  character,  by  a  refining, 
elevating  pleasure,  with  positive,  upbuilding  ele- 
ments ;  haunts  of  vice,  and  dens  of  iniquity,  and 
the  hells  of  drunkenness  and  debauchery,  must  be 
conquered    by   positive,    helpful,    attractive   insti- 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  308 

tutions,  with  agencies  the  most  effective  in  respect 
to  what  is  human  and  divine  ;  wherever  there  is 
death  it  must  be  overcome  by  the  best  and  the 
most  vigorous  life. 

All  this  involves  an  awa,kening  of  which  only- 
faint  signs  are  now  seen  in  the  church.  But  the 
sleep  has  been  disturbed  and  the  beginning  of  life 
is  evident.  The  wonderful  awakening  of  Christian 
students  of  the  times  is  apt  to  be  contagious.  How 
Christian  inquiries  into  social  problems  are  inter- 
esting students  in  Germany,  England,  and  Amer- 
ica !  This  must  bear  fruit.  And  yet  there  are 
amazing  facts  which  we  almost  fear  to  mention ; 
they  are  too  humiliating.  In  many  cases  it  is  the 
church  which  seems  least  concerned  about  the  de- 
mands made  by  socialism.  Its  apathy  is  inter- 
preted by  many  outsiders  as  an  evidence  that  its 
day  is  past.  With  pain  we  notice  that  students  of 
the  relief  of  suffering  are  drawn  less,  in  their  in- 
quiries, to  the  institutions  of  the  church  than  to 
ethical  societies,  and  other  secular  or  merely  moral 
organizations  in  behalf  of  the  poor.  Indeed, 
among  earnest  Christians  themselves  there  is  de- 
spair respecting  the  willingness  of  the  church  to 
undertake  the  work  vigorously,  and  they  look  to 
means  outside  of  the  church  for  the  undertaking. 
Not  a  few  look  with  more  hope  to  the  Salvation 
Army  than  to  the  church  itself. 

Those  alive  in  the  church  are  held  back  by  the 
unburied  dead.     Dead  weights  clog  the  wheels  of 


304  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

progress.  vSome  lose  their  souls  in  dead  issues, 
and  cannot  get  to  the  life  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 
There  are  well  meaning  ones  who  would  be  will- 
ing to  live  in  the  present  and  move  forward  into 
the  future,  provided  the}^  could  drag  along  the  lost 
past.  Unread  creeds,  unbelieved  dogmas,  mechan- 
ical forms,  lying  names,  antiquated  phraseology, 
hypocritical  cant,  an  apostolical  succession  Vv'ithout 
the  apostolic  spirit,  hierarchical  pretensions  of  a 
clerical  Pharisaism,  a  sacramentalism  which  puts 
the  symbols  of  grace  for  grace,  and  rites  which 
have  body  without  soul,  cannot  do  the  v/ork  re- 
quired. Those  attached  to  such  things  maybe  the 
hardest  to  regenerate.  He  who  feels  the  demands 
of  the  crisis  may  have  to  sever  himself  from  them, 
or  at  least  leave  them  behind.  Resolutely  the 
living  must  forsake  the  graveyards  and  go  to  liv- 
ing fields  ;  otherwise  they  are  doomed  to  death 
and  burial.  If  those  who  are  alive  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  temple  of  the  living  God  will  do 
their  duty,  the  ghosts  of  the  past,  which  haunt  the 
present,  will  prove  to  be  vanishing  shadows. 

With  the  best  efforts  of  the  church  directed  to 
the  best  ends,  much,  very  much  will  be  done  to 
relieve  suffering  and  to  change  society.  The  so- 
cial needs  will  not  all  be  met,  the  social  problems 
will  not  all  be  solved,  and  social  agitations  will  not 
cease.  The  subject  will  last  as  long  as  humanity. 
But  the  church  can  do  a  wonderful  work  in  the 
crisis,  a  work  now  not  done  at  all,  or  but  very  im- 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  805 

perfectly  ;  and  the  church  may  be  the  most  effi- 
cient agency  for  the  blCvSsing  of  the  laborers,  for 
the  improvement  of  society,  and  for  the  preser- 
vation and  advancement  of  the  threatened  civiliz- 
ing factors. 

The  resort  to  repressive  measures  is  futile  and 
may  be  wicked.  If  it  is  in  any  measure  true  that 
the  church  has  any  heart  for  laborers  only  because 
socialism  threatens  the  very  existence  of  the 
church,  it  is  surely  time  to  wipe  out  the  disgrace. 
The  inherent  love  of  Christians,  like  that  of  Christ, 
ought  to  be  the  impulse  of  the  Christian  heart  to 
seek  the  needy.  If  socialism  could  be  overthrown 
to-day,  it  would  be  the  most  urgent  duty  of  believ- 
ers to  their  fellowmen  to  arouse  in  the  most  neg- 
lected and  most  oppressed  the  consciousness  of 
their  personality  and  their  rights.  Were  the  labor- 
ers to  sink  into  apathy  again,  Christians  ought  to 
give  them  the  Gospel  of  aspiration,  of  divine  and 
human  sympathy  and  helpfulness,  of  equality  and 
of  freedom.  Surely,  when  the  best  thought  of 
philosophy  and  secular  scholarship  is  won  by  the 
justice  in  the  socialistic  demands,  the  church  can 
not  desire  to  crush  socialism  by  trampling  on  all 
that  is  noble  in  the  humblest  members  of  the 
human  family.  It  is  time  for  all  Christians  to  ad- 
mit that  the  aspiring  elements  in  socialism  can  be 
destroyed  only  by  the  destruction  of  the  culture 
and  Christianity  of  the  day.  which  have  affected 
the  masses  as  great  uplifting  but  sadly  misunder- 
stood powers.  20 


306  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

In  certain  quarters,  great  hopes  have  been  cen- 
tered on  the  Papal  Encyclical  on  the  Labor  Prob- 
lem. Repeated  announcements  respecting  it  had 
excited  expectation  ;  and  it  was  thought  that  with 
the  aid  of  eminent  prelates  in  different  countries, 
and  of  the  vast  ability  in  its  orders  and  priests  all 
over  the  world,  the  utterances  of  Rome  on  this 
theme  would  be  a  concentration  of  the  highest 
wisdom,  an  inspiration  to  the  most  exalted  con- 
duct, and  a  prophetic  outlook  into  the  future.  The 
Encyclical  was  issued  May  17,  1891.  Its  contents 
are  a  significant  revelation,  indeed,  but  most  of  all 
significant  of  the  inability  of  ultramontanism  to 
cope  with  the  social  problems.  It  is  worthy  of 
note  that  to  the  state  is  given  an  important  place 
in  the  solution  of  the  social  questions,  and  it  is  not 
treated  as  a  mere  servant  of  the  church.  The 
time  for  this  subordination  is  evidently  past.  The 
supremacy  for  meeting  the  demands  made  by 
socialism  is,  of  course,  claimed  by  the  pope  for 
Roman  Catholicism — a  claim  of  which  men  are 
suspicious  until  they  see  some  results  to  justify  it. 
The  document  teems  with  platitudes  and  truisms  ; 
they  have  been  reiterated  until  they  have  lost  their 
effect  on  the  minds  of  men.  It  is  not  so  serious  a 
charge  that  it  contains  nothing  new  ;  but  it  is  most 
damaging  that  it  is  not  even  on  the  summit  of  the 
actual  attainments  on  the  question.  The  discus- 
sions of  the  subject  in  Germany,  and  also  in  other 
lands,  reveal  a  deeper  insight  into  the  problem 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  307 

and  better  measures  for  its  solution  than  the 
Encyclical.  The  Bull  is  proof  that  that  church  is 
behind  the  times  on  the  subject.  This  leaves  but 
one  hope  respecting  the  power  of  the  church  in  the 
socialistic  agitations  :  that  hope  is  in  Protestantism. 
Pastors  who  have  families,  and  are  an  integral  part 
of  the  people,  can  evidently  understand  the  social 
problems  better  than  prelates  whose  element  is 
traditionalism,  and  whose  contact  with  the  people 
lacks  vital  elements  of  the  deepest  interests  and  of 
personal  concern  for  future  generations.  Roman 
Catholicism  cannot  transfer  men  back  into  the 
past,  the  proper  sphere  of  that  church,  and  it  can 
not  get  out  of  itself  sufficiently  to  get  into  the  heart 
of  the  people.  ProtestantLsm  is  essentially  per- 
sonal, and  emphasizes  the  person  and  personal 
concerns.  Protestantism  can  go  boldly  forward 
into  the  future  ;  it  can  get  the  hearts  of  the  people, 
if  it  understands  and  performs  its  mission.  This 
throws  an  overwhelming  responsibility  on  Prot- 
estant Christians.  The  call  is  unmistakable  :  it  is 
their  mission  to  put  themselves  at  the  head  of  the 
movements  to  meet  the  just  claims  of  socialism, 
and  to  overthrow  the  false  ones.  Protestantism 
ought  now  to  become  what  the  papacy  has  hereto- 
fore claimed  to  be — the  best  friend  of  the  needy. 
Succeeding  in  this,  it  will  reveal  a  power  and  gain 
an  influence  never  before  attained  ;  it  will  mani- 
fest the  Christian  realism  now  required,  and  will 
make  actual  the  scriptural  principles  it  professes 
to  embody. 


308  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

Only  in  a  very  condensed  form  can  some  idea  be 
given  here  of  the  specific  work  that  may  justly  be 
expected  of  the  church  with  regard  to  the  demands 
of  socialism. 

I.  The  first  and  greatest  work  of  the  church  is 
within  its  own  borders.  Self-examination,  repent- 
ance, forgiveness,  a  new  spirit  and  a  new  life,  are 
the  conditions  for  meeting  the  social  crisis.  It  is 
an  imperative  demand  that  the  church  in  its  own 
character  meet  the  requirement  of  the  Gospel  ; 
that  it  first  become  the  good  it  would  do,  and  that 
it  make  itself  what  it  would  make  others.  The 
tree  must  be  good,  if  its  fruit  is  to  be  good.  The 
church  as  it  now  is  cannot  do  the  required  work  ; 
it  must  first  be  saved  before  it  can  save  socialism; 
it  must  itself  be  quickened,  before  it  can  give  life 
to  the  dead.  In  proportion  as  the  church  itself  is 
animated  by  the  spirit  of  Christ  will  it  be  prepared 
to  study  and  appreciate  socialism,  to  enter  sympa- 
thetically into  the  condition  of  the  poor,  and  to 
work  efficiently  for  the  spiritualization  of  the 
masses.  So  long  as  the  condition  of  the  church 
itself  is  the  despair  of  its  most  earnest  members, 
there  is  no  hope.  A  deep  and  honest  consciousness 
of  its  own  state  is  absolutely  necessary.  It  must 
itself  pass  through  a  crisis  before  it  can  master 
socialism. 

2.  This  condition  being  complied  with,  the 
church  must  study  socialism  thoroughly,  impar- 
tially, with  the  loving,  sympathetic  heart  of  Christ. 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  309 

The  lamentable  ignorance  respecting  social  prob- 
lems, an  ignorance  which  is  astounding  and  a  deep 
disgrace,  must  cease.      The  depth  of  the  problem 
must  be  fathomed  and  its  far-reaching  influence 
must  be  traced,  in  order  that  the  present  superfi- 
cial treatment  in  the  pulpit  and  in  journals  may 
yield   to  thorough   and  hopeful   discussion.     The 
problem  so  fascinating  to  philosophers  and  philan- 
thropists will  be  found  full  of  absorbing  interest 
by  the  Christian  thinker.     It  is  the  problem  of  the 
present  and  of  the  future,  of  the  individual  and  of 
society,  of  the  church,  the  state,  and  of  the  world. 
Socialism   is   not  a  spectre,  but  a  terrible   and  a 
growing  reality  ;   and  it  requires  realistic,  not  vis- 
ionary  study.      Profitable   as   fascinating    is    the 
theme.     The  church  is  not  prepared  to  appreciate 
the  Christian  possibilities  in  socialism,  and  there- 
fore it  is  so  slow  to  seize  the  wonderful  opportu- 
nities offered.      It   is   a  privilege   to  live   in   the 
present  social  crisis,  since  there  is  so  much  to  be 
done,  and  because  there  are  great  prophecies  of 
good  which  seem  on  the  verge  of  fulfilment.     Be- 
sides the  external  reasons  for  the  study,  it  is  also 
required  by  the  Christian's  love  of  the  truth,  by 
his  humanity,  by  his  relation  to  the  neighbor  as 
revealed  in  the  parable  of   the  Good  Samaritan, 
and  by  the  spirit  of  that  Lord  whose  follower  he  is. 
3.     Understanding  itself  and  the  situation,  the 
church   must   study  and   master   the  sociological 
teachings  of  the  New  Testament.     The  rich  soci- 
ology of  that  book  is  now  largely  ignored  by  the 


310  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

pulpit  and  the  pew.  A  merely  legal  morality  and 
a  low  social  standard  now  prevail,  where  we  have 
a  right  to  expect  conformity  to  Christ.  The  New 
Testament  respects  the  rights  of  property  ;  but  its 
strongest  emphasis  is  on  the  duty  of  property.  The 
possession  is  not  absolute,  the  use  is  not  uncondi- 
tional ;  the  real  owner  is  the  Lord,  and  Christians 
are  His  stewards.  All  selfish  hoarding  or  use  is 
thus  excluded.  Earthly  possessions  are  means, 
not  ends ;  they  are  held  under  God,  to  be  used  in 
Christ's  spirit,  with  His  love  as  the  inspiration  in 
the  use,  with  His  works  as  the  model.  The  cov- 
etous and  the  miser  are  fools  in  God's  sight.  From 
the  prevalent  human  estimate  of  men  the  church 
must  turn  to  God's  estimate.  Jesus  reversed  the 
heathen  view,  so  that  in  God's  kingdom,  not  he 
that  is  served  most,  but  he  that  serves  most,  is  the 
greatest.  Property,  intellect,  position,  influence, 
mean  privilege  and  advantage  ;  but  privilege  and 
advantage  mean  responsibility  and  duty  and  serv- 
ice. Superiority  of  any  kind  is  opportunity  to  help 
the  inferior.  "  But  whoso  hath  this  world's  good, 
and  seeth  his  brother  have  need,  and  shutteth  up 
his  bowels  of  compassion  from  him,  how  dwelleth 
the  love  of  God  in  him  ? " 

4.  Whatever  ecclesiastical  reform  or  revolution 
may  be  required,  the  church  must  literally  _aiid 
uncompromisingly  become  the  embodiment  of  the 
sociological  principles  of  the  New  Testament.  It 
must  fully  preach  and  honestly  practice  them. 
This  demand  is  for  Christians  as  imperative  and 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  311 

ahsoliite  as  it  is  self-evident,  and  it  must  be  com- 
plied with  or  the  church  ceases  to  be  Christian. 
Christ  drove  the  buyers  and  sellers  out  of  the  tem- 
ple ;  if  now  they  have  turned  around  and  have 
driven  Him  out,  the  temple  is  no  longer  Christ's. 
The  insanity  of  preaching  at  people  who  do  not 
hear  the  sermon,  and  of  denouncing  evils  not 
reached  by  the  denunciation,  while  the  individuals 
and  evils  within  reach  are  ignored,  must  be  cured. 
The  worth  of  the  soul  must  be  treated  as  Christ 
did  ;  the  personality  must  be  exalted  above  things, 
as  is  done  throughout  the  Gospel ;  all  that  a  man 
has  must  be  recognized  as  included  in  the  decla- 
ration, that  the  earth  is  the  Lord's  and  the  fullness 
thereof ;  in  the  church,  as  before  God  and  under 
the  Gospel,  meii  rniist  be  esteemed  according  to 
character,  not  according  to  clothes  and  houses  and 
.money  and  place ;  and  the  socialistic  epistle  of 
James  must  be  read  and  preached  and  practised. 
The  church  of  Christ  cannot  but  be  equally  just  to 
the  rich  and  the  poor  ;  and  for  that  reason  it  can- 
not be  what  some  have  claimed  it  has  become, 
"the  lackey  of  the  rich  ;"  and  it  can  never  become 
a  palace  in  which  the  rich  man  fares  sumptuously 
and  is  preached  into  Abraham's  bosom,  while  Laz- 
arus is  made  the  companion  of  dogs  and  the  recip- 
ient of  waste  crumbs  on  earth,  and  then  consigned 
to  still  greater  torment  in  the  life  to  come.  Equal 
justice  to  all  in  Christ's  sense  means  love  and  sym- 
pathy and  help  for  all,  whether   they  be  rich  or 


812  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

poor.     The  nearest  neighbor  to  the  church  is  the 
most  needy  one. 

5.  The  realistic  age  demands  of  the  church  a 
Christian  realism.  Reality  or  nothing  has  become 
the  watchword.  The  church,  if  real,  is  Christian 
love  in  action.  Not  the  shallow  cry,  "  Life  without 
doctrine,"  is  now  the  herald  of  salvation  ;  but  the 
doctrine  which  becomes  spirit  and  life  is  urgently 
needed.  It  requires  no  proof  that  the  church 
which  cannot  meet  the  needs  of  the  times  is  not 
the  church  for  the  times ;  it  is  doomed  to  perish. 
The  worship  of  God  in  temples  made  with  hands 
is  not  more  glorious  than  the  worship  of  God  by  so 
blessing  men  that  they  become  temples  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  In  a  genuine,  real  Christianity, 
Christ's  gospel  to  the  poor,  the  sick,  the  distressed, 
is  practised.  It  seem  incredible  that  with  Christ's 
example  before  them  Christian  communities  are 
still  possible  in  which  the  causes  of  suffering  are 
not  investigated,  and  their  removal,  as  well  as  that 
of  suffering  itself,  is  not  absorbing  the  neglected 
energies  of  the  church.  Much  of  the  world  might 
be  transformed,  if  Christians  were  to  devote  to  this 
object  the  time  now  wasted  in  social  vanities  and 
in  selfish  gratification. 

6.  What  the  attitude  of  the  church  shall  be  to 
the  laboring  classes  can  best  be  determined,  when 
their  attitude  to  the  church  is  understood.  The 
attitade  must  be  such  as  to  overcome  their  preju- 
dices and  hostility,  if  it  is  to  bring  them  back  to 
the  church.     In  different  countries  their  alienation 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  313 

from  the  church  is  so  complete  that  many  Chris- 
tians despair  of  regaining  them.  Yet  that  alien- 
ation is  growing.  The  youth,  the  families,  the 
people,  en  masse,  are  trained  in  atheistic  principles, 
for  materialistic  aims,  with  a  deep  aversion  to  re- 
ligion, and  with  an  intense  hatred  toward  the 
church  as  their  enemy.  There  are  regions  where 
nearly  every  workshop  is  an  atheistic  and  materi- 
alistic training  school  for  the  young.  They  are 
taught  that  the  church  favors  the  rich  and  despises 
the  poor,  and  that  therefore  it  should  be  destroyed. 
All  this  must  be  known  in  order  to  be  overcome. 
7.  The  thorough  study  of  the  subject  will  lead 
to  the  best  means  to  win  the  laborers.  The  social 
differences  in  various  localities  make  the  require- 
ments different.  Much  would  be  gained,  if  our 
colleges  and  theological  seminaries  prepared  their 
vStudents  for  an  intelligent  treatment  of  socialism. 
Especially  important  is  it  that  the  church  put  the 
laborers  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  rich  in  the 
church.  Rented  pews  and  magnificent  display  in 
dress,  which  drive  away  the  poor,  must  not  be 
esteemed  above  the  souls  which  Christ  yearns  to 
save.  Every  believer  with  a  particle  of  the  spirit 
of  Christ  must  blush  w4th  shame  to  hear  of  fash- 
ionable and  aristocratic  churches.  Perhaps  they 
are  the  basest  crime  in  the  name  of  Christ.  The 
pastors  who  foster  such  institutions  already  bear 
the  seal  of  condemnation,  and  can  be  left  to  the 
curse  they  heap  upon  themselves.  How  low  the 
church  has  in  some  cases  sunk,  may  be  learned 


314  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

from  the  fact  that  men  speak  of  it  as  nothing  but 
a  social  or  aristocratic  "club."  Many  churches  in 
the  cities  are  said  virtually  to  exclude  the  poor. 
i  And  such  institutions  bear  the  name  of  Christ ! 
1  Wealth  is  the  standard  according  to  which  the  in- 
'  crease  of  membership  is  sought.  To  their  infinite 
disgrace,  even  preachers  are  said  to  have  their 
price,  and  to  be  prized  according  to  their  money 
value.  It  is  declared  that  frequently  the  pastors 
do  not  have  their  churches,  but  the  churches  have 
their  pastors  for  so  and  so  many  thousands  ;  and 
sometimes  a  nabob  has  both  the  pastor  and  the 
church.  And  yet  men  wonder  that  socialists  have 
lost  respect  for  the  church  !  The  poorest  churches 
deserve  the  best  pastors,  and  must  have  them,  if 
the  masses  are  to  be  brought  back  to  the  house  of 
God.  And  where  there  are  rich  and  poor,  they 
must  be  brought  together  as  brethren  in  the  same 
church.  If  they  cannot  worship  together  in  Prot- 
estant churches,  as  they  do  in  the  Catholic,  then 
there  is  no  alternative  but  that  the  masses,  so  far 
as  still  religious,  will  be  won  by  Catholicism  ;  and 
the  Catholic  church  will  inevitably  become  the 
church  of  the  future. 

8.  Christian  associations  should  be  formed  in 
which  the  rich  and  the  poor,  capitalists  and  labor- 
ers meet  on  brotherly  terms,  learn  to  know  one 
another,  and  cultivate  Christian  friendship.  In 
that  way  their  lamentable  ignorance  of  one  an- 
other, and  the  class-hatred  now  so  common  and  so 
dangerous,  might   be   overcome.      The   rich   will 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  315 

then  learn  that  the  poor  brother  has  much  that  is 
noble  and  worthy  of  the  best  culture  ;  and  the 
laborer  will  learn  that  the  capitalist  may  be  a  man 
of  heart,  earnest  in  promoting  the  best  interests 
of  his  fellow  men,  and  truly  actuated  by  the  spirit 
of  the  Master.  If  they  meet  as  brothers,  the 
laborer  may  learn  that  the  capitalist  is  a  harder 
laborer  than  he  himself,  and  that  labor  without 
capital  means  ruin  ;  while  the  capitalist  may  learn 
what  claims  the  laborer  has  on  him,  and  that  he 
owes  his  workmen  more  than  mere  wages.  Shops 
and  factories  are  now  arranged  on  selfish,  monetary 
principles,  as  if  employers  had  greed  without  con- 
science, and  the  laborers  hands  but  no  souls.  By 
bringing  together  capitalists  and  laborers  on  a 
Christian  basis,  the  former  will  learn  that  God  has 
given  him  the  rarest  opportunity  to  bless  and  exalt 
the  mind  and  heart  of  the  men  he  employs  and  of 
their  families.  Some  emplo3^ers  seize  this  oppor- 
tunity, and  the  effect  is  most  encouraging.  By 
making  their  position  and  means  intellectual,  ethi- 
cal and  spiritual  light,  they  have  illuminated  those 
peculiarly  intrusted  to  them  and  most  of  all  need- 
ing illumination.  Employer  and  employee  must 
get  nearer  each  other  as  men.  This  saying  is 
attributed  to  Cavour :  "  There  is  but  one  way  of 
meeting  socialism  :  the  highest  classes  must  de- 
vote themselves  to  the  welfare  of  the  lower  classes  ; 
otherwise  internal  war  is  inevitable."  In  many 
cases  the  capitalists  are  the  best  friends  of  the 
laborers  :  while  laborers  themselves  often  are  their 


316  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

own  worst  enemies,  treating  one  another  with  a 
heartless  selfishness  and  with  disgusting  brutality. 
9.  When  socialism  first  appeared  as  a  horrible 
monster  threatening  to  devour  the  church,  the 
state,  culture,  and  society  itself,  the  attention  of 
Christians  was  concentrated  mainly  on  the  evils  of 
socialism.  They  have  had  time  to  take  a  more 
general  view  of  the  situation ;  and  is  is  now  ad.- 
mitted  that  atheistic  socialism  has  learned  inany 
of  its  lessons  in  materialism,  in  selfishness,  and  in 
pleasure,  from  the  wealthy  and  the  educated. 
Christians  are  therefore  beginning  to  wonder, 
whether  it  is  not  the  cultured  and  favored  classes 
which  first  of  all  need  preaching,  morality,  and 
spirituality.  Men  are  being  startled  when  they 
see  how  completely  much  of  the  education  of  the 
day  lacks  even  the  ethical,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
spiritual,  element.  Has  any  body  discovered  that 
the  scholarship  of  the  day  is  the  Good  Samaritan, 
who  pours  oil  and  wine  into  the  wounds  of  the  man 
that  falls  among  thieves,  puts  him  on  his  beast, 
takes  him  to  an  inn,  and  relieves  his  sufferings  ? 
It  is  broadly  hinted  that  society  furnishes  the 
thieves,  that  scholarship  is  the  Levite,  wealth  the 
priest,  and  that  the  robbed  and  bleeding  man  is 
still  waiting  for  the  Good  Samaritan.  Such  reflec- 
tions show  that  the  greatest  reformatory  work  of 
the  church  is  probably  required  at  the  top,  among 
the  very  persons  who  were  the  first  in  Christ's  day 
and  yet  were  the  last,  of  whom  most  is  expected 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  317 

and  least  realized,  who  should  be  the  greatest  ser- 
vants of  society  but  arrogate  to  themselves  the 
place  of  lords,  who  need  grace  the  most  and  yet 
are  most  difficult  to  reach.  It  will  be  a  most  hope- 
ful sign  of  the  best  progress  when  the  aristocratic, 
wealthy,  and  scholarly  elements  of  society  can  be 
truly  leavened  with  the  Gospel.  In  very  many 
cases,  the  first  duty  of  the  church  is  to  them.  Let 
Matthew  xxiii  and  James  ii  be  laid  on  their  hearts, 
lo.  Many  Christians,  who  have  been  awakened 
to  the  social  situation  and  to  their  duty,  are  bewil- 
dered by  the  demands  and  know  not  what  to  do. 
Feverish  and  frantic  efforts,  as  if  born  of  despair, 
are  made  in  some  regions  in  order  to  avert  the 
awful  devastations  threatened  by  atheistic  social- 
ism. Numerous  discussions  in  Protestant  con- 
gresses and  Catholic  assemblies,  and  even  those  of 
the  pope  with  the  aid  of  his  mighty  hierarchy,  fail 
to  touch  the  heart  of  the  matter.  Much  done  for 
relieving  and  improving  the  suffering  masses  is  at 
best  but  temporary  ;  it  is  an  expedient,  not  a  cure. 
Twigs  are  cut  off,  but  others  grow  more  numer- 
ously and  more  luxuriantly  in  their  place.  A  rad- 
ical cure  demands  the  ax  at  the  root  of  the  evil. 
This  root  is  found  in  the  fact  already  stated,  that 
society  now  consists  of  classes,  whereas  Christ  and 
His  apostles  make  it  an  organism  of  members. 
Christ  teaches  brotherly  love  ;  this  implies  that 
society  consists  of  actual  brothers.  Paul  says, 
''And  whether  one  member  suffer,  all  the  mem- 


318  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH, 

bers  suffer  with  it ;  or  one  member  be  honored,  all 
the  members  rejoice  with  it."  He  also  says,  "  Now 
are  they  many  members,  yet  but  one  body."  From 
social  action  we  must  proceed  to  social  being,  if 
we  would  get  at  the  essence.  Not  in  temporary 
relief  is  the  hope,  but  in  the  transformation  of 
society,  so  as  to  make  it  an  actual  family,  a  real 
body  in  which  all  are  dependent  and  all  cooper- 
,  ative.  The  classes  with  their  class-interests  must 
^  be  changed  into  members.  Capitalists  and  labor- 
ers are  brothers,  not  rivals  or  enemies ;  mistress 
and  maid  are  sisters.  The  feet  cannot  do  without 
the  head,  nor  the  head  without  the  feet ;  the  heart 
needs  the  hands,  and  the  hands  need  the  heart. 
I  Until  this  rational  and  scriptural  view  of  society 
/  as  a  living  organism  prevails,  socialistic  agitations 
'•  and  dangers  must  continue.  All  socialistic  move- 
ments are  valuable  now  in  proportion  as  they  help 
to  make  society  a  healthy  body  with  cooperative 
members.  If  a  member  becomes  useless,  it  dies  or 
is  cut  off.  If  the  social  body  has  idle,  worthless, 
injurious  substances,  the  system  must  be  purged. 
From  the  healthy  body  all  the  efforts  in  behalf  of 
the  members  of  the  body  must  proceed.  It  is  this 
reformation  of  society  so  as  to  make  it  an  actual 
organism  of  members  which  is  so  difficult,  which 
is  the  imperative  demand,  and  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  which  the  church  can  be  most  efficient 

Many  other  things  are  required  of  the  church  in 
order  to  meet  its  present  responsibility  ;  but  they 


THE  CHURCH  AND  SOCIALISM.  319 

cannot  be  mentioned  in  detail.  The  earnest  Chris- 
tian who  understands  the  situation  will  easily  dis- 
cover them.  Every  Christian  should  have  an 
especial  mission  in  the  great  work,  and  for  his 
mission  he  should  be  trained  by  the  church  to  the 
highest  wisdom  and  the  best  skill.  The  young  re- 
quire particular  attention  ;  most  of  all  the  children 
of  the  rich,  with  their  immense  opportunities  and 
grand  responsibilities.  Each  person  is  to  be 
trained  with  a  view  to  the  greatest  perfection  of 
individuality  and  to  the  best  membership  in  the 
social  organism.  Individuals  must  be  wTought 
upon  ;  only  through  individuals  can  humanity  be 
affected.  Leading  Christian  personalities  are  in 
demand,  to  be  moral  and  spiritual  leaders  in  the 
social  crisis. 

They  are  not  all  godless  who  wonder,  whether 
in  many  places  the  church  is  not  so  utterly  devoid 
of  the  spirit  of  Christ  as  not  to  be  worth  saving. 
Some  institutions,  called  churches,  seem  beyond 
hope  of  redemption  and  will  no  doubt  be  de- 
stroyed ;  but  it  is  evidently  not  the  true  church  of 
Jesus  Christ  which  is  doomed  to  destruction. 
There  is  something  terrible  in  the  fact  that  we  are 
obliged  to  hear  atheistic  socialists  declare,  that  if 
the  spirit  of  Christ  prevailed  in  society  socialism 
would  not  exist ;  and  it  is  dreadful  to  see  them 
despise  the  church,  because  they  claim  that  it  has 
completely  abandoned  His  love  and  His  gospel  for 
the  poor.      They  are  unjust  to  the  church.     But  a 


320  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

false  rumor  believed  is  as  effective  as  a  true  report. 

A  generation  of  able  and  devout  young  men  is 
pressing  to  the  front,  determined,  b}^  God's  help, 
that  the  existing  condition  shall  be  changed. 
Aged  servants  of  God  are  also  with  them.  These 
earnest,  resolute  men  hear  the  ominous  roar  of  the 
cataract,  and  they  vow  that  they  will  go  against  the 
current  at  any  cost,  rather  than  continue  the  down- 
ward course  to  destruction.  They  speak  freely 
of  abandoning  to  inevitable  ruin  the  churches 
which  cannot  be  redeemed  from  their  haughty 
worldliness,  and  of  consecrating  their  own  lives  to 
work  which  Christ  can  approve  and  God  pronounce 
blessed.  With  abhorrence  they  speak  of  churches 
from  which  they  have  come,  in  which  the  god  of 
this  world  is  worshiped  with  all  the  luxury  of  ori- 
ental heathenism,  and  with  all  the  contempt  of  the 
poor  and  of  labor  which  marks  the  lord  of  slaves 
in  the  east.  The  beginning  of  the  end  has  come  ; 
the  pastors  and  churches  which  throw  disgrace  on 
the  cause  of  Christ  by  despising  the  poor  and  pro- 
moting the  hatred  of  class-distinctions,  will  be 
buried  imder  the  curses  of  men,  if  they  escape  the 
wrath  of  God. 

Prophecies  of  a  new  era  abound.  But  that  era 
is  no  longer  a  matter  of  prophecy ;  it  is  already 
here.  The  signs  of  the  times  need  but  be  rightly 
interpreted  to  prove  that  we  are  already  in  a  new 
world.  But  how  many  in  the  church  discern  the 
signs  of  the  times  ? 


THE  O  UTLOOK.  331 


CHAPTER    X. 
The   Outlook. 

Not  a  prophecy  is  to  be  ventured,  only  a  calm 
survey  of  the  prospect.  As  the  present  reality  is 
the  basis  on  which  we  work  and  the  soil  from 
which  the  future  must  spring,  so  we  abide  with 
this  present  in  taking  our  survey. 

Eager,  restless,  progressive  minds  are  apt  to 
discover  crises  in  whatever  age  they  live.  They 
project  their  own  spirit  into  their  surroundings, 
and  take  for  granted  that  what  they  think  ought 
to  be  will  come  to  pass.  Thus  we  find  that  in  past 
ages,  in  which  we  see  no  great  onward  movement, 
men  speak  seriously  of  the  crises  about  them.  It 
is  indeed  likely  that  at  all  times  changes  take  place 
which  seem  to  be  of  moment ;  and  yet  unless  they 
are  unusual  and  promotive  of  mighty  transfor- 
mations, we  have  no  right  to  speak  of  them  as 
crises. 

While  some  see  crises  where  there  are  none, 
many  more  do  not  see  them  when  they  really 
come.  This  has  been  the  case  at  all  times  when 
great  decisions  were  made.  No  matter  how 
mighty  the  changes,  the  way  to  them  is  always 

2X 


322  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

somehow  mediated,  and  minds  may  be  impercep- 
tibly prepared  for  them.  There  are  no  leaps  in 
history.  Besides,  much  of  the  old  continues,  for  a 
while  at  least,  and  those  who  still  cling  to  it  may 
not  be  aware  of  the  vast  transformations  around 
them.  It  is  a  peculiarity  of  certain  minds  to  rec- 
ognize no  changes,  simply  because  they  themselves 
have  undergone  no  change. 

These  considerations  lead  us  to  weigh  the  con- 
dition of  the  age  carefully  before  we  affirm  or 
deny  that  a  crisis  has  come,  that  events  are  hasten- 
ing toward  an  epoch  when  a  new  start  shall  be 
taken  in  the  cause  of  human  development.  Yet 
the  careful  student  of  the  times  can  hardly  miss 
the  right  interpretation.  The  conviction  that  im- 
portant changes  are  imminent  is  not  confined  to  a 
few  minds ;  it  has  become  general.  Voices  to  this 
effect  are  heard  from  all  quarters,  from  men  in 
different  situations  and  of  the  most  varied  degrees 
of  culture.  This  is  natural,  because  transforma- 
tions are  actually  and  rapidly  proceeding  before 
the  eyes  of  men,  and  they  seem  to  be  but  the  prep- 
aration for  still  greater  ones.  The  unmistakable 
signs  of  a  crisis  are  upon  us — a  general  dissatis- 
faction with  the  existing  state  of  things  ;  the  con- 
viction that  it  is  not  able  to  meet  actual  demands, 
and  therefore  cannot  last ;  the  doubt,  hesitation, 
uncertainty,  unrest,  longing,  and  expectancy,  so 
common  in  eras  preparing  for  new  creations  ;  and 
the  numerous  efforts  at  reforms  and  revolutions. 


THE  OUTLOOK.  323 

the  proposed  substitutes  for  the  old,  and  the  reme- 
dies for  prevalent  ills.  Not  only  are  these  signs 
general,  they  are  also  found  in  various  depart- 
ments— in  art  and  literature,  in  philosophy  and 
theology,  in  religion  and  in  social  life.  All  this  is 
clear  to  one  who  observes  his  own  mind  and  studies 
the  psychology  of  the  times,  who  fathoms  the 
thought  of  the  day,  studies  the  press,  watches  gov- 
ernments and  politics,  and  puts  his  finger  on  the 
social  pulse. 

It  is  characteristic  of  such  times  that  prophecies 
abound,  and  yet  no  one  knows  what  is  to  come. 
Hope  and  fear  alternate,  as  day  and  night,  or 
blend,  as  light  and  darkness  in  the  twilight.  Some 
are  in  a  kind  of  paralysis,  owing  to  the  overwhelm- 
ing greatness  of  the  demand,  and  to  the  uncer- 
tainty, in  which  they  know  not  what  to  do.  Other 
minds  are  marvelously  stimulated,  exalted  by  a 
great  inspiration  to  put  forth  their  utmost  ener- 
gies to  meet  the  demands  of  the  hour.  Not  less 
are  such  times  burdened  with  difficulties  than 
they  are  times  of  opportunity,  of  possibility,  of 
privilege,  and  of  realization. 

The  age  is  moving  through  the  irresistible  logic 
of  events.  Hence  we  say  that  some  things  are  in 
the  air  or  in  the  age.  By  opposing  them  they  are 
but  strengthened  and  their  reserved  forces  brought 
into  most  vigorous  exercise.  Catastrophes  are  has- 
tened by  efforts  to  prevent  them.  There  are  fires 
to  which  water  is  oil.      Resistlessly,  as  by  fate,  the 


324  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

minds  seem  to  be  carried  along  a  certain  course. 
The  ages  have  passions  which,  like  storms,  can  be 
quieted  only  when  their  fury  is  spent. 

We  must  reckon  with  the  inevitable.  The  man 
who  attempts  to  uphold  a  falling  building  may  not 
support  the  structure  but  be  buried  under  its  ruins. 
Just  when  work  is  most  needed,  it  may  be  most 
difficult  to  know  what  to  do.  Certain  principles 
are,  however,  beyond  question,  and  enduring  work 
will  result  from  following  their  guidance.  What 
is  partial  cannot  satisfy  ;  what  is  inefficient  cannot 
last ;  error  is  doomed  to  exposure  ;  the  truth  must 
conquer  ;  the  mind  can  rest  finally  only  in  what 
fills  all  its  capacities  and  meets  all  its  needs.. 
There  is  much  anxiety  that  is  worse  than  useless  ; 
it  wears  out  the  anxious,  but  does  not  accomplish 
what  they  desire.  A  notion  or  object  most  devot- 
edly cherished  may  be  doomed  in  spite  of  all  our 
effort  and  sacrifice.  Christ  may  be  crucified,  and 
yet  the  old  order  not  preserved  and  the  entrance 
of  the  new  not  prevented. 

The  new  that  comes  in  with  a  flood  may  speedily 
be  followed  by  the  ebb.  Yet  while  it  lasts,  that 
flood  is  likely  to  carry  all  before  it.  Passion  rushes 
furiously  on  when  reason  should  hold  the  reins. 
Men  may  slaughter  their  fellows,  until  destruction 
has  been  so  cultivated  that  for  its  own  sake  it  be- 
comes a  pleasure.  So  men  may  form  a  habit  of 
destroying  the  old,  just  as  others  form  a  habit  of 
clinging  to  the  old  and  rejecting  the  new.     That 


THE  OUTLOOK.  325 

which  has  lasted  for  ages  may  be  the  very  foun- 
dation needed  when  all  seems  to  be  tottering ;  yet 
the  fact  that  it  has  lasted  for  ages  affords  no  proof 
that  it  will  last  forever.  Whether  the  inclination 
of  men  leads  them  to  be  conservative  or  liberal,  it 
is  well  to  remember  that  neither  conservatism  nor 
liberalism  decides  any  thing.  The  truth  alone  is 
absolute,  and  therefore  rises  above  party  consid- 
erations ;  it  is  eternal,  and  therefore  neither  new 
nor  old.  It  is  the  only  foundation  on  which  the 
true  man  is  willing  to  work.  Labor  on  the  basis 
of  objective  truth,  not  on  subjective  opinions 
merely,  is  a  sowing  for  eternity,  Few  convictions 
are  more  important  than  that  true  progress  con- 
sists in  conserving  the  old  as  far  as  true,  and 
equally  adopting  the  new  so  far  as  true,  and  reject- 
ing both  in  the  old  and  the  new  whatever  may  be 
false. 

Mercilessly  the  living  age  will  sweep  past  those 
who  cling  to  an  unadapted  or  unsatisfying  past. 
It  may  be  best  to  leave  them  alone  ;  effort  can  be 
more  profitably  spent  otherwise  than  in  opposing 
them.  If  you  succeed  in  momentarily  lifting  cer- 
tain men  out  of  their  cherished  ruts,  they  will 
immediately  fall  back  again.  "  Let  the  dead  bury 
their  dead  :  but  go  thou  and  preach  the  kingdom 
of  God."  That  the  work  to  be  done  is  positive, 
that  negatives  are  for  the  sake  of  positives,  that 
error  is  to  be  overcome  by  the  truth,  the  evil  by 
the  good,  has  been  sufficiently  emphasized  in  the 


326  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH, 

preceding  pages — if,  indeed,  it  can  be  sufficiently 
emphasized  at  a  time  when  the  critical  spirit  is 
dominant,  and  when  negations  become  a  mania. 
Criticism  the  most  thorough  for  the  sake  of  posi- 
tions the  most  firm,  is  a  good  rule.  That  amid  the 
severest  criticism  and  most  destructive  negations 
the  best  work  can  be  performed  with  the  utmost 
confidence,  is  no  question  to  him  who  believes  in 
God,  in  religion,  and  in  truth.  He  has  the  assur- 
ance that  all  conflict  must  eventually  promote 
man's  highest  interests,  of  which  interests  he  may 
himself  become  aware  only  through  the  conflict. 

The  Christian  will  not  seek  to  outrun  providence, 
but  will  be  studious  to  follow  its  guidance.  Our 
times  are  similar  to  those  in  which  the  prophets 
came  with  important  messages  ;  and  now  men  of  a 
prophetic  spirit  are  in  demand,  listening  to  God 
rather  than  men,  wondrously  adapted  to  their 
times  and  anxious  to  apply  God's  truth  to  them, 
leaders  and  yet  led,  very  bold  and  yet  very  humble. 
Efforts  at  reform  are  likely  to  abound  at  such  times, 
and  it  may  be  difficult  to  distinguish  between  the 
true  and  the  false.  There  is  need  for  patient  wait- 
ing and  for  a  careful  discerning  of  the  spirits. 
False  reformers,  like  false  Messiahs,  may  destroy 
their  followers.  Self-constituted  reformers  differ 
essentially  from  such  as  are  carried  along  by  a 
mighty  divine  impulse  to  do  God's  will.  These 
may  be  least  conscious  of  any  special  merit,  not 
even  thinking  that  they  are  reformers,  but  wholly 


THE  O  UTLOOK.  327 

absorbed  by  some  great  truth  or  great  plan. 
Boasting  is  never  heard  from  their  lips,  they  sim- 
ply express  the  ideas  of  which  they  are  an  embod- 
iment, and  which  burn  for  utterance.  The  glory 
of  a  reformer  in  our  age  is  not  likely  to  be  the  sol- 
itary effulgence  of  an  individual  ;  it  belongs  rather 
to  the  truth  that  works  in  many,  and  of  which  a 
few  are  the  clearest  and  best  representatives. 

Yet  personal  work  is  peculiarly  in  demand.  What 
churches  and  associations  do  is  after  all  but  the 
work  of  individuals,  not  indeed  as  isolated,  but  in 
an  organized  capacit)^  To  this  personal  work  we 
look  for  the  solution  of  many  of  the  problems  of 
the  day.  The  church,  whatever  its  divine  and  spir- 
itual factors,  aside  from  the  members  is  nothing 
tangible  and  can  do  nothing  ;  the  members  of  the 
church  can  do  everything.  Neither  individualism 
nor  socialism  is  the  hope  of  the  age  ;  but  an  indi- 
vidualism that  exists  for  society,  and  a  socialism 
that  exists  for  the  individual.  The  personality  is 
the  great  thing ;  but  not  in  itself,  not  selfish  or 
egotistic,  but  as  finding  its  perfection  in  the  social 
organism  which  it  helps  to  constitute  and  on  which 
it  depends.  From  individuals  we  expect  the  ini- 
tiative in  all  great  undertakings.  Around  the 
individuals  the  associations  must  form,  from  indi- 
viduals the  impulses  must  proceed  which  shall 
shape  the  coming  events. 

Revisions  are  undoubtedly  necessary.  What 
sprang  into  being  in  the  full  power  of  life  and 


328  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

beauty  and  adaptation,  is  in  danger  of  becoming  a 
lifeless  scheme,  an  empty  form,  a  mechanical  tra- 
dition, as  it  passes  down  to  other  ages.  What  an 
age  elaborates  for  itself  develops  that  age,  is  an 
expression  of  itself,  is  a  peculiar  embodiment  of 
its  life,  and  also  peculiarly  adapted  to  its  needs. 
Thus  the  creator  lives,  grows,  and  acts  in  the  cre- 
ations. But  what  an  age  receives  merely  as  a 
transmission  from  former  times  is  not  organically 
wrought  into  the  age,  and  does  not  develop  into 
itself  and  for  itself  the  substantial  energy  of  the 
age.  Dogmas,  creeds,  associations,  liturgies,  modes 
of  government,  valuable  in  themselves,  full  of  life 
and  energy  at  their  creation,  are  apt  to  lose  their 
original  freshness  as  handed  down  to  later  gener- 
ations. It  is  the  same  difference  as  between  a 
thought  which  the  mind  works  out  for  itself,  and 
one  which  it  learns  from  an(  ther.  I  become  the 
thought  I  work  out ;  while  the  thought  I  learn 
from  another  may  lie  superficially  on  the  memory. 
The  common  tendency  to  de;.;eneracy  with  age  is 
due  largely  to  subjective  concations.  An  age  will 
lose  its  vital  force,  if  everything  is  done  for  it  by 
the  past ;  if  it  does  nothing  for  itself,  it  will  not 
develop  itself.  The  most  hopeless  students  are 
those  who  have  everything  done  for  them,  so  that 
they  themselves  need  do  nothing.  There  is  no 
self -growth  where  there  is  no  self -energy. 

Here  we  have  a  law  of  first  importance  for  our 
age.     Much  that  is  valuable  in  itself  may  be  inop- 


THE  O  UTLOOK.  329 

erative,  because  it  is  a  transmission  instead  of  an 
elaboration.  It  must  be  earned  in  order  to  be 
possessed,  as  an  eminent  poet  has  said.  It  must 
be  a  creation  in  order  to  have  creative  power. 
Doctrines  of  fundamental  significance  are  lifeless 
because  doctrines  of  past  ages,  but  not  of  our  age. 
They  must  be  mastered,  must  be  worked  out  de 
novo  again,  in  order  to  enter  the  fibres  of  the  age. 
Works  on  dogmatics  are  of  supreme  value,  if  they 
help  to  construct  scriptural  doctrines  from  Scrip- 
ture ;  but  as  a  substitute  for  Scripture  they  are  a 
hindrance.  Our  theological  seminaries  need  re- 
vision. Too  often  they  finish  for  the  student  what 
never  can  be  finished  on  earth  ;  they  do  for  the 
student  what  he  must  be  taught  to  do  for  himself  ; 
they  let  the  past  think  for  him,  instead  of  teaching 
him  to  think  ;  they  give  him  learning,  when  he 
needs  power  ;  they  adapt  him  to  theological  sys- 
tems, when  he  ought  to  learn  to  adapt  all  systems 
to  the  needs  of  the  times.  Few  psychological  facts 
are  better  established  than  the  fact  that  mental 
elaboration  is  the  condition  of  the  greatest  mental 
energy.  This  law  is  constantly  violated  by  the 
emphasis  placed  in  our  schools  on  objective  truth 
to  be  learned,  rather  than  on  the  subjective  unfold- 
ing of  that  truth  by  the  mind  itself.  Hence  sys- 
tems hover  over  men,  instead  of  energizing  within 
their  souls.  Dogmas  become  mechanical,  not  a  life 
such  as  the  mind  and  heart  develop  when  the  liv- 
ing  truth   is   wrought,  in  a  living   way,  into  the 


330  THE  AGE  AND   THE  CHURCH, 

mind  by  the  mind  itself.  Only  the  truth  which 
grows  in  a  man  and  into  which  a  man  grows,  is 
really  his  truth  and  a  living  power. 

Theological  training — not  mere  teaching — as  a 
living  method,  making  all  truth  an  element  of  life 
and  for  life,  is  promotive  of  freshness  and  power. 
The  mind  must  be  fresh  if  truth  is  to  be  fresh. 
The  supreme  end  in  training  is  inner  development, 
so  that  the  student,  when  he  enters  life,  may  have 
larger  mind,  greater  vigor,  and  more  freshness, 
than  when  he  began  his  course.  There  ought  to 
be  a  revision  of  methods  of  study,  in  order  to 
accomplish  this.  When  we  inquire  into  the  sub- 
jects to  be  studied,  we  are  bewildered  by  their 
number.  Even  now  it  is  impossible  to  make  thor- 
ough work  of  all  the  disciplines  crowded  into  a  few 
years.  At  best  the  theological  school  can  only 
prepare  the  student  for  a  life  of  study.  If  well 
grounded  in  philosophy,  the  student  will  have  the 
conditions  for  a  deep  and  broad  survey  in  the  vari- 
ous departments  of  thought.  And,  then,  especial 
attention  should  be  given  to  the  character  of  the 
age,  so  that  the  student  may  know  with  what  fac- 
tors he  is  to  deal  during  life. 

Scripture  and  church  history  are  now  the  leading 
theological  disciplines.  The  one  is  the  seed  of  the 
spiritual  life,  the  other  is  the  growth  of  this  seed 
throughout  the  Christian  ages.  The  age  is  culti- 
vating history  and  biography  ;  it  finds  in  them  the 
evidence  of  the  realism  it  seeks.     The  church  has 


THE  O  UTLOOK.  331 

in  its  own  history  and  in  Christian  biography  the 
best  evidence  of  the  power  and  reality  of  Chris- 
tianity. Here  is  an  element  of  Christian  realism 
which  can  be  far  more  effectively  used  than  is  now 
the  case.  The  people  ought  to  be  made  partakers 
of  the  wealth  buried  in  Christian  history  and  biog- 
raphy. This  mine,  if  properly  worked,  would 
give  richness,  freshness,  and  power  to  the  pulpit  \ 
it  would  make  Sunday  school  and  church  libraries 
more  solid  and  more  valuable  ;  it  would  give  the 
Christian  home  the  most  entertaining  and  most 
instructive  literature  ;  and  it  would  furnish  the 
most  popular  and  most  effective  apologetics.  Were 
the  churches  better  instructed  in  ecclesiastical  his- 
tory, by  lectures,  sermons,  journals,  and  books^ 
many  one-sided  views  now  prevalent  might  be 
overcome.  The  eminent  church  historian  Hase 
affirms :  "  We  are  approaching  a  time  when 
church  history  will  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  gen- 
eral culture."  Those  who  help  to  fulfill  this 
prophecy  are  likely  to  be  among  the  most  efficient 
Christian  benefactors  of  the  age. 

Everywhere  earnest  minds  are  being  aroused  to 
the  greatest  energy  to  furnish  the  thoughts,  the 
organizations,  the  adaptations  now  required.  It 
is  hardly  safe  to  hazard  an  opinion  respecting  the 
new  creations,  that  may  be  expected  from  the 
church  in  its  efforts  to  meet  the  demands  of  the 
times.  These  creations  must  spring  from  the  re- 
ligious life  of   the  church,  a  life  in  which  ethics 


332  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

and  intellect  are  factors,  but  for  which  life  they 
cannot  be  substitutes.  Inner  deepening  and  quick- 
ening are  the  conditions  for  new  outer  growth.  A 
great  point  has  been  gained  in  that  the  conviction 
has  become  general,  that  as  now  constituted  the 
church  cannot  leaven  the  age.  How  significant 
that  much  of  the  best  Christian  work  of  the  age 
is  done  by  individual  effort,  or  by  associations  not 
immediately  connected  with  the  church  !  Not 
only  is  the  organized  church  not  the  sole  Christian 
organism  on  earth,  but  it  is  itself  composed  of  too 
many  separate  fragments  to  present  the  totality  of 
an  organic  life.  Not  only  are  the  churches  without 
visible  bonds  that  unite  them,  but  the  divine  serv- 
ice of  God  in  an  individual  church  is  often  divorced 
from  the  divine  service  of  man.  The  Christian 
life  of  a  church  is  not  a  unit,  not  a  spiritual  organ- 
ism ;  it  is  not  a  vitality  felt  in  the  church  building 
on  Sunday  and  in  the  family  and  the  world  during 
the  week.  The  church  is  not  light  and  not  salt 
enough.  Here  is  a  grand  problem  :  what  creative 
energy  can  be  developed  by  the  contact  of  the 
spiritual  life  with  the  age  ?  As  Christ  and  the  dis- 
ciples are  a  perpetual  model  for  the  church,  so  in 
our  day  the  family  is  in  many  respects  a  model  for 
the  organism  of  the  church.  And  surely  there  is 
need,  too,  of  determining  more  clearly  the  organic 
relation  of  the  church  to  intellect  and  culture,  to 
amusements  and  recreations,  to  politics  and  social- 
ism, and  to  all  that  pertains  to  the  needs,  the 
sufferings,  and  the  welfare  of  the  people. 


THE  OUTLOOK.  333 

Whatever  may  come  that  is  new,  it  ought  to  be 
born,  not  of  a  desire  for  novelty,  but  from  the 
necessity  of  the  case,  from  the  reason  in  things. 
And  how  can  we  doubt  that  the  times  will  create 
what  is  especially  adapted  to  its  needs  ?  It  is  one 
of  the  firmest  convictions  of  the  Christian  that 
God  will  awaken  the  men  and  bestow  the  gifts 
especially  needed.  Peculiar  demands  will  call 
forth  peculiar  supplies.  It  is  in  religious  crises 
that  spiritual  genius  appears,  with  an  intuitive 
insight  into  the  age,  feeling  more  deeply  and  more 
keenly  than  others  the  pangs  of  the  generation, 
seeing  more  clearly  what  is  required,  and  endowed 
with  peculiar  wisdom  and  skill  in  adapting  divine 
truth  to  human  needs. 

The  new  thing  may  be  but  the  revival  of  some 
old  but  neglected  truth  or  method.  Buried  truth 
of  Scripture  may  be  resurrected.  Some  idea  long 
cherished  may  be  put  in  a  new  light,  so  as  to  reveal 
new  possibilities  and  new  beauties.  Perhaps  ideas 
long  held  apart  are  brought  together,  and  the  new 
relation  is  also  a  new  revelation.  Often  the  new 
is  in  the  old  ;  indeed,  we  may  say  that  it  is  always 
there.  How  could  we  get  to  the  new,  unless  in 
and  from  the  old  there  is  some  path  to  the  new  ? 
But  the  new  is  buried  in  the  old,  lies  there  implic- 
itly rather  than  explicitly,  is  a  seed  instead  of  the 
plant  that  grows  from  it.  By  simply  introducing 
a  new  method  of  inquiry  or  work  a  new  world  may 
be  the  result.     And  the  mightiest  reformations  or 


334  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH, 

revolutions  may  spring  from  a  change  in  the  rela- 
tive prominence  of  thoughts.  Thus  a  ruling 
thought  is  made  subordinate,  or  a  subordinate 
thought  is  made  dominant,  and  as  a  consequence 
there  is  a  total  transformation  in  human  affairs. 
The  men  for  the  time  are  therefore  those  who  dis- 
cern its  signs,  who  seize  its  divine  thought,  who 
put  creative  ideas  in  their  proper  place,  suitably 
imite  them,  evolve  the  bud  into  the  flower  and  the 
fruit,  and  give  the  method  for  their  most  perfect 
evolution,  and  for  their  best  adaptation  to  the  age 
Ideas  are  persons.  The  personality  is  but  the 
sum  of  the  ideas  in  a  man.  You  may  not  be  able 
to  find  the  intellectual  formula  which  expresses 
the  sum  of  these  ideas  ;  but  the  personality  is  this 
expression.  Ideas  obscure,  unconscious,  pressing 
upward  into  clear  consciousness,  now  implicit,  then 
explicit,  with  an  inherent  energy  tending  to  pro- 
mote growth,  sometimes  in  the  form  of  feeling, 
sometimes  bodied  forth  in  action,  sometimes  a 
great  intellectual  system — ideas  constitute  the  per- 
sonality. The  man  in  whom  the  ideas  of  the  age 
have  become  personal  is  the  most  complete  expres- 
sion of  the  age.  Be  he  artist,  poet,  philosopher, 
theologian,  this  is  true.  The  personality  in  which 
the  age  has  taken  form,  and  in  which  God  likewise 
dwells,  is  the  religious  personality  for  the  times. 
Such  a  great  personality  is  the  hope  of  many  who 
painfully  feel  the  need  of  the  times.  Perhaps 
such  a  personality  is  most  difficult  in  our  day.     It 


THE  O  UTLOOK.  335 

seems  to  involve  contradictory  elements  :  the  dis- 
traction of  the  times  and  the  absorbing  divine 
contemplation  of  the  truest  mysticism  ;  a  profound 
knowledge  of  worldliness  and  a  still  more  pro- 
found knowledge  of  divinity;  the  highest  intel- 
lectuality and  the  most  devout  spirituality ;  the 
deepest  feeling  and  the  iniensest  action.  Yet  such 
a  synthesis  is  essential.  The  thoughts  which  an 
analytic  age  has  severed  must  be  united  again. 
There  is  dualism  where  the  mind  demands  mon- 
ism ;  there  are  classes  where  there  should  be 
members  ;  there  is  diversity  whose  unity  must  be 
found.  In  this  work  all  earnest  men  are  fellow- 
laborers  ;  each  can  do  his  part,  though  that  may 
be  but  small.  In  the  church  especially,  where  all 
are  brethren,  all  ought  to  cooperate  in  the  name 
of  Christ,  but  still  more  in  His  Spirit  and  with  His 
love.  Then  the  greatness  of  the  result  may  justly 
be  expected  to  be  proportionate  to  the  greatness 
of  the  crisis. 

We  have  found  the  demands,  owing  to  their 
number  and  weight,  oppressive.  The  trend  of  the 
age  has  much  that  induces  pessimism.  Taking, 
however,  the  entire  age  into  account,  the  Chris- 
tian's attitude  must  be  that  of  an  optimistic  pessi- 
mist. He  fathoms  the  meaning  of  the  sad  facts  in 
order  to  become  their  master.  Reason  for  hope 
abounds.  The  long  descent  is  followed  by  an 
ascent.  The  spurs  to  energy,  the  opportunities 
for  workers,  the  inspiration  of  great  result,  were 


336  THE  AGE  AND  THE  CHURCH. 

never  surpassed.  The  very  needs  in  society,  in 
culture,  in  the  masses,  in  the  church,  and  in  the 
school,  are  a  mighty  impulse  to  awaken  creative 
energy  and  to  inspire  Christian  genius.  If  there 
is  no  hope  in  conventions  and  assemblies,  there  is 
hope  in  consecrated,  self-denying  individuality  and 
personality.  The  problems  are  not  questions  of 
majorities,  but  of  Christ,  of  truth,  of  humanity. 
The  right  leaders,  isolated  and  maligned  at  first, 
will  eventually  gain  the  pastors  and  the  people. 
How  readily  efficient  associations  spring  up  in 
our  churches ;  how  eager  young  men  and  young 
women  are  to  work,  if  only  the  opportunities  are 
given  and  the  way  is  shown  !  Thinking  and  work- 
ing, the  development  of  the  entire  personality  and 
the  giving  of  the  entire  personality  in  the  work — 
that  is  now  the  need.  And  the  need  will  be  met 
— met  by  men  and  women  who  care  more  for 
Christ  and  His  truth  than  for  existing  inefficient 
forms  ;  who  appreciate  the  age  and  appropriate  its 
excellencies,  but  also  see  its  defects  and  strive  to 
overcome  them  ;  who  learn  from  all  ages,  in  order 
to  pass  beyond  the  present  into  a  richer  and  better 
future ;  who  prize  both  the  material  and  the  spir- 
itual, the  empirical  and  the  rational,  the  analytic 
and  the  synthetic,  the  realistic  and  the  ideal ;  who 
know  that  the  world  is  not  perfect  but  also  know 
that  men  are  apt  to  blame  the  existing  order  of 
things,  when  they  themselves  are  to  blame  and 
need  changing  :  who  are  not  depressed  by  the  de- 


THE  OUTLOOK.  337 

cay  of  the  old  which  has  become  effete,  but  are 
cheered  by  the  new  and  better  truth  and  form  that 
spring  into  being ;  who  feel  the  power  of  the  crisis, 
but  interpret  it  to  mean  a  death  that  leads  to  a  new 
life,  and  a  transformation  which  must  result  in  a 
creative  epoch  from  which  a  new  period  of  devel- 
opment shall  date  ;  and  whose  trust  in  God  inspires 
the  greatest  personal  energy  in  producing  the  ad- 
aptation of  the  church  to  the  needs  of  the  times. 


22 


APPENDIX. 


THE  STUDY  OF  THE  AGE.  341 


The  Study  of  the   Age. 

The  age  is  a  problem,  and  the  energies  of  the 
age  are  concentrated  on  the  solution  of  that  prob- 
lem. Not  that  all  men  are  consciously  engaged 
in  solving  the  mysteries  of  the  times ;  many  are 
impelled  by  blind  forces  and  follow  dark  instincts, 
not  even  aware  of  the  existence  of  the  problem  in 
whose  solution  they  are  engaged.  The  majority 
move  as  a  mass  rather  than  as  individuals,  so  that 
even  their  choices  are  products  rather  than  initia- 
tives. They  are  a  mystery  to  themselves,  and 
therefore  the  age  of  which  they  are  an  embodi- 
ment is  likewise  a  mystery  to  them.  Only  the 
very  few,  who  are  profoundly  conscious  of  them- 
selves and  of  the  times,  work  rationally  for  the 
solution  of  the  riddles  of  their  being  and  of  the 
age.  The  tree  is  the  solution  of  the  problem  con- 
cealed in  the  seed  whence  it  springs  ;  and  as  un- 
consciously as  the  tree  in  solving  its  problem  are 
many  engaged  in  solving  the  problem  of  their  age. 

The  most  evident  things  often  escape  our  notice. 
They  are  too  apparent  to  require  any  effort  on  our 
part,  and  therefore  attention  and  thought  are  not 
concentrated  on  them.  Some  things  are  so  clear 
that  it  is  necessary  to  make  a  special  effort  to  be- 
come conscious  of  their  existence.  Other  objects 
are  so  common  that  our  very  familiarity  makes  us 


343  APPENDIX. 

heedless  of  them.  That  is  the  case  with  much 
about  us  ;  it  does  not  impress  us,  because  it  is  taken 
as  a  matter  of  course.  Hence  the  common  affairs 
of  the  age,  the  daily  occurrences,  and  the  self- 
evident  things,  are  so  apt  to  be  ignored.  And  yet 
attention  to  them  may  be  most  fruitful  of  results. 
Even  if  insignificant  in  themselves,  in  their  rela- 
tions they  may  be  of  greatest  importance. 

Life  is  apt  to  become  a  mere  routine,  with  a 
constant  succession  of  familiar  objects  which  are 
not  contrasted  with  anything  new  or  strange,  and 
therefore  lose  their  effect  and  are  not  placed  in  the 
right  relation.  The  fish  which  swims  about  in  a 
net  does  not  know  that  it  is  caught.  It  cannot  get 
into  the  great  sea  outside  of  its  prison,  and  there- 
fore cannot  compare  its  narrow  limits  with  the  sea 
itself.  If  it  knew  the  difference,  it  would  attempt 
to  escape  in  order  to  be  free.  Narrowly  limited 
lives  might  be  enlarged  by  making  them  aware  of 
the  greatness  of  the  age  beyond  their  immediate 
environment.  With  real  instead  of  imaginary  free- 
dom there  would  come  also  an  expansion  of  mind 
and  heart,  and  an  increase  of  power.  The  growth 
of  men  is  largely  a  development  in  the  appreciation 
of  the  reality  about  them,  and  of  their  relation  to 
the  totality  of  this  reality. 

The  study  of  the  age  means  an  enlargement  of 
consciousness  to  the  actualities  and  realities  of  the 
present.  It  exposes  fancies  as  fancies,  and  reveals 
the  truth  as  truth.  This  study  makes  the  age  our 
possession,  so  that  we  can  apprehend  it,  use  it,  and 
intelligently  influence  it.  This  our  age  is  the  only 
one  in  all  eternity  in  which  we  can  live  and  act  on 
earth.  This  one,  only  life  is  molded  by  the  age 
and  is  to  tell  on  the  age.     The  age  as  energy,  and 


THE  STUDY  OF  THE  AGE.  34S 

the  only  energy  with  which  we  have  directly  to  do, 
thus  assumes  an  importance  great  beyond  esti- 
mation. Unless  this  energy  is  understood,  it  does 
not  appear  how  wisdom,  can  be  exercised  in  its  use. 
If  the  times  are  not  known,  how  can  their  truth 
be  appropriated  and  their  error  avoided,  how  can 
their  real  interests  be  promoted  and  the  false  ten- 
dencies suppressed  ?  It  goes  without  saying,  that 
those  who  want  really  to  live  want  to  be  in  touch 
with  the  real  age. 

It  is  natural  for  the  intellect  conscious  of  itself 
to  seek  a  comprehension  of  the  generation  from 
which  it  receives  all  its  light,  and  to  which  it  gives 
all  its  energies.  But  there  are  still  other  reasons 
for  making  our  times  the  object  of  profoundest 
inquiry.  The  problems  and  interests  involved  are 
the  highest.  We  live  in  a  period  of  marvelous 
activity,  the  like  of  which  the  world  never  before 
witnessed.  This  activity  is  no  longer  confined  to 
a  few  individuals,  but  affects  the  masses,  and  is 
constantly  assuming  larger  proportions.  The  agi- 
tations on  the  surface  are  but  symptoms  of  the 
deep  interests  which  absorb  the  minds  and  fill  the 
hearts  of  men.  Not  only  have  many  problems 
come  down  to  the  present  on  the  stream  of  history, 
but  the  very  effort  to  solve  them  has  also  thrust 
upon  us  new  and  deeper  problems.  In  all  great 
concerns  the  controversies  have  gravitated  from 
details  to  principles ;  and  it  is  the  ultimate  ques- 
tions of  thought  and  being  which  give  the  age  its 
intellectual  characteristics.  Moving  amid  the  most 
momentous  themes,  the  intellect  would  commit  a 
crime  against  itself  to  withdraw  from  their  energy 
and  inspiration  and  responsibilities. 

To   the   thoughtful    mind   these   considerations 


344  APPENDIX. 

ought  to  be  manifest ;  and  a  little  reflection  would 
add  many  other  weighty  reasons  for  an  especial 
investigation  of  the  character  of  our  generation. 
Yet  such  is  the  importance  of  the  study  that  we 
may  well  question  whether  any  amount  of  study 
can  lead  to  its  deserved  appreciation.  If,  for  in- 
stance, we  want  to  learn  what  the  church  ought  to 
be  and  do  in  order  to  attain  the  greatest  efficiency, 
we  must  fathom  the  meaning  of  the  times  and  get 
an  insight  into  the  peculiar  energy  of  the  age. 
For  Christians,  therefore,  the  careful  study  of  the 
existing  reality  has  a  practical  aim  whose  signifi- 
cance is  second  to  none. 

While  the  principles  of  Christianity  must  ever 
be  the  same,  their  application  necessarily  varies 
with  the  peculiar  conditions  and  demands  of  the 
ages.  In  the  striking  adaptation  of  his  teachings 
to  men  and  circumstances,  Jesus  gives  a  lesson  of 
wisdom  to  all  generations  of  Christians  ;  and  the 
apostle  Paul,  in  becoming  all  things  to  all  men, 
illustrated  the  adaptability  of  Christ's  Gospel.  Sys- 
tems of  divinity  aim  to  exhibit  the  unchangeable 
doctrinal  and  ethical  elements  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion ;  but  the  history  of  Christianity  shows  that 
this  religion  also  has  variable  elements,  and  that 
they  are  developed  by  the  effort  to  meet  the  pe- 
culiar religious  needs  of  the  different  countries 
and  periods.  Christianity  thus  reveals  the  plia- 
bility and  adaptability  of  life,  in  distinction  from 
the  monotony  of  dead  and  sterile  systems.  It  is 
unity,  but  the  unity  of  a  manifold  diversity,  as  in 
the  case  of  an  organism. 

In  an  age  teeming  with  religious  crises  there  is 
not  only  a  demand  for  bringing  into  action  the 
spiritual  forces  held  in  reserve,  but  also  for  such  a 


THE  STUDY  OF  THE  AGE.  345 

wise  use  of  them  as  will  meet  the  peculiar  emer- 
gencies. Perhaps  Scripture  has  neglected  seeds 
for  which  the  soil  is  now  ready  and  waiting ;  it 
may  have  buds  whose  time  for  blooming  into 
flowers  and  developing  into  fruit  has  come.  Are 
there  not  prophecies  in  Christianity  for  whose  ful- 
filment the  fullness  of  time  has  arrived,  and  are 
there  not  possibilities  which  are  now  ready  to  be- 
come realities  ?  Such  are  questions  which  arise  in 
view  of  the  deep  and  urgent  religious  needs  of  the 
day ;  and  it  is  clear  that  the  needs  must  be  appre- 
ciated, if  their  supply  is  to  be  attempted. 

The  church,  so  far  as  it  is  the  embodiment  of 
Christianity,  is  likewise  the  same  in  different  peri- 
ods, and  yet  is  ever  changing.  The  same  leaven 
is  introduced  into  Judaism  and  heathenism,  and 
yet  it  works  differently  because  the  meal  differs. 
A  form  of  organization  peculiarly  effective  when 
first  made,  because  adapted  to  the  peculiar  times, 
may  afterwards  become  an  old  bottle  which  cannot 
hold  the  new  wine  of  the  new  era.  Many  believe 
the  church  now  on  trial,  the  test  being  whether  it 
has  the  ability  to  meet  the  demands  made  on  it. 
This  ability  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  day  is  re- 
garded as  the  condition  for  the  continued  existence 
of  the  church.  Not  from  enemies  of  the  church 
but  from  its  most  devoted  friends  comes  the  proph- 
ecy, that  the  church  of  the  future  is  the  church 
which  meets  the  actual  needs  of  the  times.  If  the 
days  are  evil,  the  need  of  redeeming  the  time,  or 
purchasing  from  it  by  severest  effort  whatever 
good  it  may  have,  is  all  the  more  necessary.  Those 
who  cannot  use  and  develop  the  good  of  the  age  so 
as  to  overcome  its  evil,  will  be  overwhelmed  and 
engulfed  by  the  evil. 


346  APPENDIX. 

How  weighty  in  view  of  these  things  the  ques- 
tion of  Christ,  "  Can  ye  not  discern  the  signs  of  the 
times?"  Many  believers  work  in  the  dark  because 
they  have  failed  to  ponder  that  question  seriously  ; 
and  through  ignorance  they  injure  the  very  cause 
they  desire  to  promote. 

There  has  been  a  great  awakening  respecting 
the  importance  of  understanding  one's  own  age. 
In  journals  and  in  books,  in  meetings  of  associa- 
tions and  in  private  circles,  the  subject  is  now  fre- 
quently discussed.  Suddenly  men  seem  to  have 
become  aware  that  nothing  is  of  greater  signifi- 
cance to  them  than  the  forces  acting  about  and 
upon  them.  By  means  of  this  awakening  they 
have  also  become  conscious  of  their  ignorance  on 
the  subject,  and  the  neglect  of  the  study  of  the  age 
amazes  them.  They  are  surprised  that  churches 
do  not  better  prepare  their  members  to  grapple 
with  the  problems  which  agitate  the  times.  It  has 
become  a  common  complaint  that  while  preachers 
may  understand  their  local  church  and  denomi- 
nation and  the  general  movements  in  Christendom, 
they  do  not  make  an  especial  study  of  the  age  out- 
side of  the  church,  or  of  the  elements  of  Chris- 
tianity which  are  especially  adapted  to  meet  the 
demands  of  the  times.  Much  of  their  inefficiency 
is  attributed  to  this  neglect.  At  a  large  conference 
of  ministers  in  Germany  a  professor  read  a  paper 
on  the  teaching  of  Christianity  respecting  wealth, 
one  of  the  most  timely  themes.  At  the  close  of 
the  address  the  subject  was  open  for  general  dis- 
cussion, but  scarcely  any  took  part  in  it,  not  having 
the  requisite  knowledge.  Yet  this  was  in  the  land 
where  theological  education  is  reputed  to  be  the 
best   in    the   world,    and    where   the   threatening 


THE  STUDY  OF  THE  AGE.  347 

aspects  of  socialism  make  the  Christian  view  of 
property  a  burning  question.  No  wonder  that  in 
Germany  the  appointment  of  theological  professors 
to  teach  economic  and  social  questions  from  an 
ethical  and  religious  standpoint  is  advocated.  It 
is  claimed  that  with  all  his  superior  scholarly  ad- 
vantages the  German  theological  student  is  not 
prepared  for  actual  life  ;  hence  it  is  urged  that  a 
larger  number  of  especial  schools  than  now  exist 
for  this  preparation  ought  to  be  established,  to  be 
entered  after  the  course  in  the  university  has  been 
completed. 

That  the  age  is  gravitating  more  and  more  to  a 
consciousness  of  self  is  evident  from  the  absorbing 
attention  devoted  to  prominent  movements  of  the 
day.  Much  of  the  power  of  modern  specialization 
is  concentrated  on  fathoming  actual  needs  and 
meeting  their  demands.  So  overwhelming  in  its 
influence  has  the  present  reality  become,  that  there 
is  danger  in  certain  quarters  of  losing  the  appre- 
ciation of  the  past  and  the  future,  as  well  as  of 
principles  and  ideals.  If  heretofore  knowledge 
and  truth  and  power  have  been  esteemed  for  their 
own  sake,  now  they  are  sought  for  the  sake  of  their 
adaptation  to  the  present.  Earnest  men  want 
adapted  truth,  adapted  knowledge,  adapted  faith  ;  and 
the  demand  is  not  for  institutions  or  personalities 
in  the  abstract,  but  for  real,  concrete  ones  pecul- 
iarly suited  to  the  times.  All  this  is  proof  that  the 
living  age  has  become  the  focus  of  thought,  as  it  is 
of  interest  and  of  effort.  The  age  itself  has  be- 
come an  object  of  profoundest  study. 

Usually  ministers  are  thrown  wholly  on  their 
own  resources  for  the  study  of  the  age,  not  so 
much  as  the  conditions  and  method  of  the  investi- 


348  APPENDIX. 

gation  having  been  taught  them  while  theological 
students.  In  beginning  their  pastoral  work  they 
are  thrust  into  the  midst  of  the  most  momentous 
practical  problems,  with  but  little  preparation  to 
meet  them.  Among  these  problems  are  such  as 
affect  culture,  agitate  the  masses,  and  produce 
conflicts  between  Protestantism  and  Roman  Cath- 
olicism. The  preacher  comes  in  contact  with  per- 
sons who  believe  that  the  very  existence  of  religion, 
or  at  least  of  the  church,  is  at  stake,  and  he  is  re- 
quired to  discuss  the  deepest  and  most  vital  ques- 
tions of  spirituality  in  order  to  meet  the  difficulties 
and  objections  of  men.  The  spirit  and  achieve- 
ments of  science,  the  trend  of  philosophic  thought, 
the  character  of  the  literature  of  the  day,  the 
genius  controlling  art,  the  revolution  aimed  at  by 
socialism,  the  factors  dominating  politics,  society, 
industries,  and  life,  all  are  weighty  concerns  for 
the  preacher.  Not  less  important  is  the  study  of 
the  church  itself,  and  an  inquiry  into  its  means  for 
doing  the  work  of  the  age.  These  and  similar 
facts  enable  us  to  understand  why  from  so  many 
quarters  live  and  earnest  men  urgently  appeal  to 
Christian  thinkers  and  workers  to  make  a  specialty 
of  the  study  of  the  times.  They  feel  that  men  for 
the  times  must  be  men  of  the  times — not  the  slaves 
of  the  age  but  its  masters,  in  it  and  yet  above  it, 
and  above  it  because  the}"  have  mastered  it,  know- 
ing its  needs  and  how  to  supply  them. 

It  is  not  preachers  alone  who  lament  that  they 
have  never  been  led  into  the  study  of  the  age,  and 
have  not  even  been  taught  the  importance  of  this 
study.  Inquiry  among  students  from  different 
countries  has  led  to  the  conviction,  that  the  age  is 
not  a  thorough  and  systematic  study  in  the  schools 


THE  STUDY  OF  THE  AGE.  349 

of  any  country.  Let  a  number  of  intelligent  per- 
sons be  asked  what  the  characteristics  of  the  times 
are,  and  their  confused  and  conflicting  answers,  if 
they  give  any,  are  likely  to  be  a  revelation  of  igno- 
rance and  thoughtlessness  on  the  subject.  Some 
take  for  granted  that  the  age,  being  constantly 
exposed  to  our  view,  is  too  familiar  to  require 
special  investigation.  Others  go  to  the  other 
extreme  and  regard  our  own  age  almost,  if  not 
wholly,  beyond  our  comprehension.  They  hold 
that  we  are  too  much  a  part  of  the  age  to  be  able 
to  judge  of  its  character.  We  are  formed  by  it 
and  can  live  in  no  other ;  hence  they  think  that 
we  cannot  rise  above  the  age  sufficiently  to  take  a 
fair  survey  of  its  movements,  and  cannot  under- 
stand it,  because  we  have  no  experience  of  another 
age  with  which  to  compare  our  own.  But  this 
argument  would  also  make  all  knowledge  of  self 
and  of  what  most  immediately  concerns  us  impos- 
sible. It  is  likewise  claimed  that  many  of  the  ten- 
dencies in  which  we  live  have  not  yet  culminated, 
and  therefore  cannot  be  understood  ;  we  must  wait 
till  they  are  completed,  then  they  will  be  historic 
and  subject  to  our  comprehension.  This  objection 
would  be  serious  if  our  aim  were  the  future  instead 
of  the  present ;  but  we  want  to  study  the  move- 
ments as  they  now  proceed,  not  what  their  future 
is  likely  to  be,  though  in  some  cases  that  may  also 
be  foretold.  Nor  is  absolute  knowledge  the  goal 
sought,  but  only  such  knowledge  as  is  within 
reach. 

For  the  reasons  indicated,  historians  usually 
treat  some  period  before  their  own  as  the  close  of 
their  historic  research,  leaving  to  future  historians 
the  description  of  the  present.      So  the   age  of 


350  APPENDIX. 

which  a  man  himself  forms  a  part  is  thought  not 
prepared  to  do  him  justice  ;  hence  it  is  claimed 
that  a  man  must  have  been  dead  some  time  before 
his  biography  can  be  written.  All  this  may  be 
true  of  the  movements  of  parties  which  arouse 
passion  and  excite  prejudice,  and  also  of  men  who 
have  been  leaders  in  these  movements.  Such  men 
and  movements  can  be  more  impartially  judged, 
when  the  prejudices  have  died  and  personal  inter- 
ests are  no  longer  concerned.  But  it  is  not  evident 
how  prejudice  can  seriously  affect  the  study  of  the 
age  itself,  when  we  simply  want  to  know  what  ex- 
ists, without  regard  to  personal  interest.  Indeed, 
it  seems  incredible  that  those  who  live  in  an  age 
and  experience  its  power  should  be  least  capable 
of  appreciatino^  its  character. 

This  conclusion  and  this  conflict  of  opinions  are 
reasons  for  an  impartial  and  thorough  study  of  the 
subject.  It  is  important  to  learn  what  can  be  done 
by  reducing  the  inquiry  to  system.  If  possible, 
the  principles  of  the  investigation  should  be  made 
as  specific  as  those  of  history.  What  is  meant  by 
the  age,  how  it  is  to  be  studied,  what  can  be  learned 
respecting  it,  and  how  the  results  of  the  study  can 
best  be  utilized,  all  should  be  carefully  elaborated 
and  systematized.  The  demand  for  light  is  so 
great  that  we  have  a  right  to  expect  professorships 
to  be  established  for  the  instruction  of  students  in 
the  character  of  their  own  times.  It  may  then 
become  evident  that,  instead  of  being  no  legiti- 
mate object  of  study,  our  age  is  the  only  possible 
study,  all  that  we  investigate  of  the  past  being 
within  our  reach  only  so  far  as  that  past  is  in  the 
present,  or  so  far  as  a  knowledge  of  the  past  is 
present  knowledge.     Of  course  all  knowledge  of 


THE  STUDY  OF  THE  AGE.  351 

the  past  that  is  not  part  of  the  knowledge  of  our 
age  is  hidden  from  us.  Whether  we  study  the 
past  or  the  future,  we  can  do  it  only  in  the  present ; 
and  all  knowledge  of  the  past  and  the  future,  of 
the  present  and  the  absent,  is  knowledge  in  our 
age  and  a  part  of  the  age.  That  only  what  is  pres- 
ent can  be  presented  to  us  needs  no  elucidation  for 
him  who  thinks. 

After  indicating  the  importance  of  the  study  of 
our  own  times,  it  is  essential  for  clearness  and  defi- 
niteness  that  we  determine  the  exact  aim  of  the  study. 

What  is  meant  by  the  Age  ?  As  essentially  syn- 
onymous with  the  term,  we  use  our  generation, 
our  day,  our  time  or  times.  Without  attempting 
to  fix  exactly  its  beginning  or  continuance,  the  age 
is  used  to  designate  the  period  in  which  we  live. 
As  one  part  of  a  stream  cannot  be  severed  from 
the  rest,  so  in  the  stream  of  time  no  age  can  be 
completely  separated  from  the  past  and  the  future. 
There  are  of  course  times  of  special  sowing  and  of 
special  harvests  ;  but  all  sowing  is  preceded  by 
harvests,  and  all  harvests  prepare  the  way  for 
future  sowing.  The  fruit  which  is  the  product  of 
ages  is  likewise  a  seed  whence  fruits  and  seeds 
shall  grow  in  the  future.  There  is  perpetual  sow- 
ing, unceasing  growing,  and  constant  harvesting. 
In  this  continuous  process  our  age  may  have  crises 
and  epochs,  but  it  has  no  absolute  beginning  or 
ending  ;  it  is  itself  part  of  an  endless  process. 

Our  age  as  the  time  in  which  we  live  includes, 
in  the  most  comprehensive  sense,  the  whole  of 
humanity,  and  everything  that  transpires  in  human- 
ity and  affects  man.  Every  occurrence  of  nature, 
so  far  as  it  affects  man,  is  therefore  included  ;  and 
we  might  even  embrace  all  that  transpires  in  the 


353  APPENDIX. 

universe,  were  it  within  reach  and  did  we  not  con- 
fine ourselves  to  humanity  in  the  study  of  the  age. 
Now  it  is  evident  that  in  this  comprehensive  sense, 
as  including  all  that  pertains  to  humanity  in  our 
times,  there  is  no  possibility  of  understanding  our 
age.  Not  even  the  details  of  a  single  life  are 
wholly  at  our  command  ;  how  much  less  those  of 
every  human  being  on  the  globe.  In  the  study  of 
the  times  w^e  take  the  individual  into  account  only 
so  far  as  he  is  an  expression  of  the  age  and  affects 
it.  We  seek  the  totality,  not  the  individual ;  and 
in  this  totality  we  want  to  discover  what  is  charac- 
teristic. Much  may  occur  which  is  insignificant  or 
exceptional,  or  which  is  peculiar  to  a  limited  circle  ; 
this  cannot  be  called  a  mark  of  the  age,  and  does 
not  lie  within  the  range  of  our  discussion.  So  a 
nation  may  have  striking  peculiarities  ;  but  for  the 
reason  that  they  are  peculiar  to  that  nation  they 
are  not  characteristics  of  the  age  itself,  unless  we 
identify  the  nation  with  the  age. 

Characteristics  we  seek,  revelations  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  age.  We  w^ant  to  learn  its  essence. 
All  ages  have  much  in  common,  and  this  universal 
element  cannot  be  neglected  in  the  study  of  any 
age.  But  why  study  a  particular  period  if  it  pos- 
sesses only  what  all  others  have  ?  What  our  day 
has  in  common  with  others  it  may  have  in  a  pecul- 
iar form,  with  a  different  degree  of  development, 
and  in  new  relations.  What  is  dominant  at  one 
time  may  at  another  lose  its  preeminence  and  sink 
into  insignificance.  So  new  ideas  may  arise  and 
rule  an  era.  Now  it  is  that  which  marks  our  time 
and  gives  it  a  stamp  of  its  own  which  especially 
arrests  our  attention.  Not,  however,  for  compar- 
ison with  other  periods,  but  for   the  purpose  of 


THE  STUD  V  OF  THE  A  GE.  853 

understanding  the  essence  of  our  own  shall  we 
consider  what  is  peculiar  to  our  times,  as  well  as 
what  they  have  in  common  with  other  ages. 

The  key  to  individual  and  national  character  is 
in  the  dominant  power  or  powers.  The  same  is 
true  of  ages.  Every  age  has  certain  dominant  or 
leading  powers,  more  prominent  and  more  potent 
than  the  rest,  making  other  forces  subservient  to 
themselves,  determining  the  aim  and  purpose  of 
the  movements,  and  shaping  events.  In  these 
monarchical  powers,  as  we  may  call  them,  we  find 
a  concentration  of  the  spirit  of  the  age  and  behold 
the  leadership  in  the  tendencies  of  the  day.  These 
dominant  or  ruling  factors  are  the  unity  in  the 
endless  details  and  distractions  of  the  times.  We 
might  call  them  the  principles  which  work  in  and 
through  the  age  and  form  its  characteristics.  An 
age  is  essentially  compressed  in  its  energizing 
principles,  as  a  plant  is  compressed  in  its  seed. 

As  thus  we  limit  our  inquiry  to  the  dominant 
powers  or  principles  as  the  essence  and  substance 
of  the  age,  so  we  likewise  limit  the  sphere  of  our 
investigation.  We  need  not  take  into  account  all 
peoples,  since  many  of  them  have  no  marked  effect 
on  the  age,  and  the  dominant  powers  are  not  found 
in  them  or  only  in  a  low  degree.  All  the  peoples 
in  a  lower  stage  of  development  are  excluded ; 
whatever  of  significance  prevails  among  them  is 
likewise  found  in  advanced  nations  and  in  a  much 
more  developed  form.  For  the  dominant  factors 
of  the  age  we  naturally  limit  ourselves  to  the  dom- 
inant nations.  These  stand  for  the  age,  as  certain 
persons  stand  for  nations,  being  an  embodiment  of 
their  essential  characteristics.  Certain  nations  are 
the  pilots  of  history,  now  Egypt,  then  Persia,  now 
23 


354  APPENDIX. 

Greece,  then  Rome.  The  leadership  is  no  longer 
confined  to  one  people,  but  it  belongs  to  a  number, 
though  not  to  all  in  an  equal  degree.  It  is  to  the 
leading  nations  that  we  look  for  the  leading  ideas. 

It  thus  becomes  evident  that  we  limit  our  inquiry 
into  the  age  to  Europe  and  America.  And  in  these 
all  peoples  have  not  an  equal  value  for  our  pur- 
pose. We  look  to  the  most  advanced,  the  most 
energetic,  and  the  most  progressive  nations  for  the 
best  material.  While  the  leading  nations  deter- 
mine the  character  of  the  age,  others  are  virtually 
followers  or  domineered.  The  nations  whose  study 
especially  concerns  us  are  therefore  those  of  west- 
>ern  Europe  and  the  United  States. 

But  what  element  of  dominance  in  nations  is  of 
especial  value  for  our  purpose  ?  National  parade 
and  display,  and  all  momentary  effervescences  of 
power,  have  little  interest  for  us.  We  seek  causes, 
permanent  factors,  fruitful  and  abiding  efforts, 
and  characteristic  tendencies.  The  love  of  dis- 
play may  of  course  be  a  dominant  disposition  and 
so  far  significant.  But  what  makes  most  show  and 
the  loudest  noise  is  often  evanescent,  while  a  per- 
manent power  may  be  hidden  and  quiet.  It  is  the 
deep  undercurrents,  the  inherent  powers  in  move- 
ments, the  energies  of  which  all  national  life  and 
public  movements  are  but  manifestations,  which 
we  aim  to  discover. 

But  how  can  we  discover  the  dominant  powers 
of  the  age  ?  There  must  be  a  specific  method  of 
inquiry  ;  but  what  is  it  ?  So  little  attention  is  de- 
voted to  the  systematic  study  of  the  age  that  no 
method  seems  to  be  established,  and  each  investi- 
gator has  now  to  undertake  the  work  of  marking- 
out  his  course  as  best  he  can. 


THE  STUDY  OF  THE  AGE.  355 

Were  the  history  of  our  times  the  object  of  in- 
quiry, then  we  should  have  no  difficulty  in  deter- 
mining the  method.  Ranke  showed  that  it  is  not 
a  series  of  national  histories  which  constitutes 
universal  history,  as  had  usually  been  supposed  ; 
but  that  only  such  occurrences  in  nations  as  affect 
the  general  (and  not  merely  national)  course  of 
events  constitute  general  history.  If  now  we  wxre 
to  write  the  history  of  the  age  in  the  sense  of  gen- 
eral history,  we  should  give  only  events  which 
have  significance  for  the  age  as  a  totality  ;  all  that 
is  merely  local  or  limited  to  a  particular  nationality 
would  be  omitted.  Although  such  a  history  of  the 
age  is  not  our  aim,  yet  it  would  give  exactly  the 
material  we  want  for  our  purpose.  The  events 
which  marks  the  age  as  such,  being  sufficiently 
general  to  characterize  the  age  itself,  would  give 
the  data  whose  investigation  would  furnish  the 
results  we  need. 

The  characteristic  events  of  the  age  are  the 
manifestations  of  the  potent  factors  we  seek.  Sim- 
ilar phenomena  in  the  advanced  nations  imply  the 
working  of  similar  powers.  And  it  is  these  powers, 
powers  that  dominate  the  nations  and  the  age, 
which  we  want  to  understand. 

Not  in  isolated  instances  merely,  but  also  in 
events  generally  are  the  ruling  powers  revealed. 
How  could  the  powers  be  dominant,  unless  their 
dominance  were  found  in  general  manifestations  ? 
It  is  thus  clear  that  our  problem  does  not  involve 
the  impossible  task  of  examining  all  that  occurs, 
since  every  significant  phenomenon  of  general 
prevalence  contains  what  we  seek. 

The  powers  of  an  age  manifest  themselves  in 
life  generally,  in  society,  in  politics,  in  business,  in 


356  APPENDIX. 

science,  in  philosophy,  in  literature,  in  art,  and  in 
religion.  In  all  these  spheres  the  same  causes 
may  be  at  work,  though  in  each  case  the  manifes- 
tations differ.  Whatever  now  is  characteristic  in 
all  these  spheres,  or  in  most  of  them,  will  also  be 
the  chief  or  dominant  power  of  the  age.  There 
can  be  no  question  that  in  the  course  of  time  a 
ruling  power  of  a  period  must  affect  every  depart- 
ment of  thought  and  life. 

We  must  therefore  adopt  the  method  of  exam- 
ining these  various  manifestations  of  power  in 
order  to  discover  the  power  itself.  Any  general 
tendency  of  the  times  will  afford  a  clue  to  a  power 
whose  working  is  general ;  and  the  most  general 
tendency  will  reveal  the  power  which  itself  is  the 
most  general.  Different  tendencies  may  be  foimd 
in  their  last  analysis  to  spring  from  the  same 
causes,  their  difference  being  the  product  of  sec- 
ondary influences.  Perhaps  analysis  will  reveal 
some  one  power  as  lying  at  the  basis  of  all  the 
tendencies,  other  powers  and  agencies  coming  in 
only  as  accessories  and  giving  particular  tendencies 
their  peculiarities. 

Two  departments  of  thought  draw  from  all  the 
rest  and  furnish  a  kind  of  summary  of  them, 
namely,  philosophy  and  general  literature ;  and  it 
is  to  these  that  we  must  look  for  the  most  com- 
plete expression  of  the  age.  Philosophy,  being 
intent  on  principles,  seeking  the  ultimate  causes 
of  events  and  the  reason  in  things,  is  a  concen- 
tration of  the  age  or  an  epitome  of  its  powers. 
Hence  the  philosophy  produced  by  an  age  is 
regarded  by  thinkers  as  a  culmination  of  the 
thoughts  and  interests  of  the  times.  Thus  the 
speculative,  the   inductive,   the  materialistic,  the 


THE  STUDY  OF  THE  AGE.  357 

pantheistic,  and  the  theistic  movements  of  the  age, 
are  likely  to  find  expression  in  the  philosophy  of 
the  day.  Particularly  is  this  true  when  a  philos- 
ophy is  not  only  a  product  of  the  times  but  also 
receives  general  recognition.  A  philosophy  may 
of  course  reach  out  beyond  the  times,  being  an 
explicit  statement  of  what  is  only  implied  in  them  ; 
or  it  may  be  prophetic,  waiting  for  its  day  to  come 
in  the  future.  But  however  original  a  philosopher, 
the  age  in  some  measure  thinks  in  and  through 
him,  and  concentrates  and  embodies  in  him  the 
thought  of  the  times.  Perhaps  he  only  expresses 
clearly  what  others  blindly  seek.  We  are  fully 
justified  in  saying  that  the  dominant  philosophy  is 
likely  to  express  the  dominant  thought  and  power 
of  an  age.  If  different  philosophies  prevail,  or  if 
there  is  confusion  in  philosophic  thought,  then  we 
may  conclude  that  there  is  a  conflict  or  confusion 
of  principles  in  the  age  itself. 

While  philosophy  is  the  domain  of  the  few,  the 
other  department,  general  literature,  is  for  the 
public.  As  the  literature  of  a  period  is  a  creation 
of  the  period  and  a  manifestation  of  the  produc- 
tive power  of  the  times,  so  likewise  is  it  an  evi- 
dence of  the  character  of  the  public  taste.  Liter- 
ature is  written  to  be  read  ;  and  whatever  ideal 
standards  have  prevailed  in  the  past,  in  our  day 
the  people  themselves  have  become  the  literary 
standard.  All  departments  of  thought  blossom 
and  bear  fruit  in  literature  ;  and  what  the  people 
read  is  an  indication  of  what  they  seek,  and  also 
of  the  culture  promoted  among  them.  The  pop- 
ular literature  expresses  the  power  and  reveals  the 
ten  dene  V  of  the  times. 


358  APPENDIX. 

If  any  particular  sphere  of  thought  receives 
especial  attention  and  gains  a  controlling  influence, 
then  this  fact  will  be  an  important  hint  for  the 
study  of  the  times.  Thus  if  marked  prominence 
is  given  to  science,  to  philosophy,  to  history,  to 
politics,  or  to  any  other  department,  it  is  a  reve- 
lation of  the  tendency  of  thought,  of  the  concen- 
tration of  interests,  and  of  the  direction  given  to 
energy.  If  a  particular  subject  absorbs  the  spirit 
of  the  age,  it  will  determine  the  character,  the 
disposition,  and  the  power  of  the  age. 

What  has  been  said  leaves  no  doubt  as  to  our 
method.  We  do  not  propose  to  construct  our  view 
of  the  times  according  to  any  ideal  or  preconceived 
notions.  We  go  directly  to  the  age  itself  for  our 
knowledge  of  the  age.  Our  process  is  inductive  ; 
we  examine  the  facts,  draw  from  them  their  laws, 
and  then  discern  the  forces  at  work  in  the  laws. 
We  thus  proceed  from  the  operations  of  the  age  to 
their  causes.  When  the  causes  at  work  are  found, 
we  want  to  reduce  them,  as  far  as  possible,  in  order 
to  discover  a  single  power  as  the  seed  of  all  these 
causes ;  or  if  this  is  not  possible,  then  we  want  to 
reduce  the  powers  to  as  few  as  we  can,  so  as  to 
discover  the  least  number  of  ultimate  powers,  of 
which  all  other  powers  are  but  manifestations  or 
modifications. 

After  any  power  has  been  found,  its  dominance 
can  easily  be  tested.  The  different  departments 
of  thought  and  life  need  but  be  examined  in  order 
to  learn  whether  it  exerts  a  controlling  influence 
in  them.  Thus  if  a  principle  is  found  dominant  in 
philosophy,  it  need  but  be  applied  to  political  and 
social  movements  in  order  to  discover  whether 
prevalent  in  them  also. 


THE  STUDY  OF  THE  AGE.  359 

But,  as  we  have  seen,  the  present  is  not  isolated. 
It  is  an  effect  and  also  a  cause ;  it  was  produced 
by  the  past  and  will  work  throughout  the  future. 
"The  present  is  saturated  with  the  past,"  Ranke 
said.  And  his  pupil  Waitz  declared  that  "  history 
is  to  enable  us  to  understand  and  to  judge  the 
present."  The  historian  Giesebrecht  affirmed  that 
the  value  of  history  consists  in  the  fact  that  it  lives 
in  the  present ;  and  he  holds  that  universities, 
professors,  and  students  are  pow^erful  in  proportion 
as  they  meet  the  demands  of  the  times.  Our  day 
is  the  last  page  of  history  ;  as  soon  as  we  turn  the 
page  we  enter  the  future.  In  the  present  we  be- 
hold the  past  and  steal  prophetic  glimpses  of  what 
is  to  come.  Thus  the  age,  which  is  the  fruit  of  the 
past,  is  likewise  the  seed  of  the  future.  There  is 
truth  in  the  view  which  prevailed  from  Heraclitus 
to  our  day,  that  nothing  is,  but  that  all  is  in  process 
of  becoming.  Our  age  is  not  a  pool,  but  a  current ; 
and  if  the  present  current  is  to  be  understood,  we 
must  know  whence  it  came,  and  what  forces  have 
been  gathered  into  its  movement.  Changing  the 
figure,  wx  view  our  period  as  a  growth  of  the  past ; 
and  we  can  understand  the  present  stage  of  devel- 
opment only  in  its  organic  connection  with  the 
preceding  processes  of  growth.  We  must  adopt 
Aristotle's  rule,  that  things  as  they  are  can  be  un- 
derstood only  by  studying  their  genesis,  or  the 
processes  which  made  them  what  they  are. 

We  therefore  add  to  the  inductive  the  genetic 
method,  the  process  of  investigating  things  accord- 
ing to  their  genesis.  The  development  of  powers 
in  the  past  is  the  condition  for  understanding  their 
culmination  in  the  present.  A  stream  in  any  of  its 
parts   could  of   course  be  fully  explained  only  if 


360  APPENDIX. 

traced  to  its  source  and  to  all  its  tributaries.  But 
a  history  of  the  processes  working  in  our  day  would 
require  a  history  of  the  world,  for  these  processes 
extend  back  through  all  time  and  through  all  na- 
tions. Although  these  processes  cannot  here  be 
followed  in  detail,  nevertheless  the  results  given 
in  this  book  are  the  product  of  the  union  of  the 
inductive  and  the  genetic  method. 

Viewed  in  this  light,  it  is  evident  that  an  insight 
into  the  age  requires  deep  as  well  as  broad  con- 
templation. Only  as  involving  a  retrospect  as 
well  as  a  prospect,  the  past  as  well  as  the  future, 
does  the  age  receive  its  proper  setting.  When 
therefore  we  speak  of  enlarging  our  consciousness 
so  as  to  embrace  the  age,  we  at  the  same  time 
mean  an  enlargement  that  transcends  the  age, 
reaching  out  to  the  sources  whence  it  comes  and 
to  the  goal  whither  it  tends.  So  when  the  atten- 
tion is  concentrated  on  the  study  of  the  age,  the 
aim  is  not  to  let  the  age  absorb  our  powers,  but  to 
make  us  lords  rather  than  slaves  of  our  times. 
Instead  of  being  unconsciously  impelled  by  the 
spirit  of  the  age,  whether  its  impulses  be  true  or 
false,  right  or  wrong,  we  want  to  get  control  of 
this  spirit  and  make  it  our  minister.  W©  strive  to 
test  and  criticize  the  genius  of  the  day,  to  learn 
how  far  it  is  demoniac  and  how  far  divine.  Only 
by  thinking  through  the  age  can  we  hope  to  rise 
above  it ;  only  by  mastering  it  can  we  make  it  our 
servant.  By  comparing  our  day  with  other  times, 
and  the  ruling  motives  of  the  present  with  the 
principles  of  ethics  and  religion,  we  shall  get  the 
vantage-ground  from  which  to  estimate  our  age, 
and  the  basis  on  which  we  can  make  life  tell  most 
for  the  present  and  the  future. 


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